Knife homicides down nearly a quarter in 12 months, figures show

Homicide involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales has fallen by nearly a quarter in a year, new figures show.

The number stood at 174 in the year to September 2025, down 23% from 227 the previous year.

The change has helped drive down the overall homicide total to a new low since current records began in 2003.

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show 499 homicides were recorded by police in the 12 months to September 2025, a drop of 7% year on year from 539.

Knife crime has also fallen, dropping by 9% to 50,430 offences in the year to September, compared with 55,149 in the previous 12 months.

Billy Gazard of the ONS said: “While the crime survey paints a relatively stable picture, many aspects of violent crime and theft recorded by the police have fallen in the past 12 months.

“Homicide and gun crime are at the lowest levels seen this century, while knife crime has also decreased.

“The majority of police forces have seen knife crime fall in the past year, including the larger urban Greater Manchester, Metropolitan and West Midlands areas.

“This is supported by NHS data, which continue to show a decrease in hospital admissions for assault by a sharp object.”

The data comes as figures published by the Metropolitan Police earlier this month showed homicides in the capital dropped to the lowest level in more than a decade last year.

There were 97 homicides in London in 2025, down 11% from 109 in 2024, and the lowest number recorded since 95 homicides 11 years ago, in 2014.

Elsewhere on Thursday, the ONS figures show shoplifting increased in the year to September, but is slightly below record levels seen in the 12 months to March 2025.

There were 519,381 shoplifting offences in the year to September, up 5% from 492,660 the previous year.

A total of 530,439 offences were recorded in the year to March 2025.

Separate figures from the ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales also suggested bank and credit card fraud increased by 19% to 2.6 million incidents in the year to September.

The survey “provides a reliable measure of crime trends for the population, and the offence types it covers” because it is not affected by police reporting or recording changes, the ONS said.

It covers a range of personal and household victim-based crime, including theft, robbery, criminal damage, fraud, computer misuse and violence with or without injury, but does not include sexual offences, stalking, harassment and domestic abuse, which are presented separately.