Police-recorded homicides across England and Wales have plummeted to their lowest level in more than forty years, according to newly released official figures. This welcome decline is being driven primarily by a substantial and sustained drop in knife-related violent crime, offering a glimmer of hope in the long-standing battle against serious violence.
A Historic Decline in the Most Serious Crimes
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data reveals that a total of 499 homicides were recorded in the twelve months leading to September 2025. This represents a notable 7% decrease from the 539 offences recorded in the previous year. Crucially, this annual total is the lowest seen since 1983, when 482 homicides were officially logged, marking a significant milestone in crime statistics.
Sharp Instrument Offences Show Dramatic Fall
The most striking element of this positive trend is the sharp reduction in homicides involving knives or other sharp instruments. The figures show there were 174 such tragic incidents in the year to September 2025, which is a substantial 23% fall from the 227 recorded in the preceding twelve-month period. This decline is mirrored in the overall level of knife crime, which saw 50,430 offences, down 9% from 55,149.
Billy Gazard of the ONS commented on the findings, stating: “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.”
He further highlighted that the majority of police forces have witnessed a reduction in knife crime, including major urban areas such as Greater Manchester, the Metropolitan Police district, and the West Midlands. This trend is corroborated by separate NHS data, which continues to show a decrease in hospital admissions for assaults involving sharp objects.
London Sees a Decade-Low in Homicides
This national picture is reflected in the capital, where figures published by the Metropolitan Police earlier this month showed homicides in London dropped to their lowest level in over a decade during 2025. There were 97 homicides recorded, down 11% from 109 in 2024, and the lowest number since 95 were recorded eleven years ago in 2014.
Contrasting Trends: The Rise in Shoplifting and Fraud
However, the ONS report also presents a more complex and concerning picture regarding other crime types. While violent crime falls, acquisitive crimes are showing an upward trajectory. Shoplifting offences increased to 519,381 in the year to September, a rise of 5% from 492,660 the previous year, though this figure remains slightly below the record 530,439 offences seen in the year to March 2025.
Furthermore, separate data from the ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales indicated a significant 19% increase in bank and credit card fraud, rising to 2.6 million incidents. The survey is considered a reliable measure of crime trends as it is not affected by changes in police reporting or recording practices.
Government Response and Policing Reforms
Reacting to the mixed set of figures, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged the progress while highlighting ongoing challenges. “We are having real success tackling the crimes that terrorise communities,” she said. “But the crimes that tear at the fabric of communities, like shop theft and shop robbery, continue to rise and we must do more.”
The Home Secretary pointed to government initiatives, including plans to put 13,000 more neighbourhood officers on the beat and an additional £2 billion investment in police forces since taking office. This comes alongside major policing reforms announced recently, which will see the number of police forces slashed and new, larger forces created, divided into local areas.
A new National Police Service (NPS) will also be established to tackle serious and complex crimes like terrorism and fraud, aiming to lift the burden from local forces and allow them to concentrate on day-to-day community policing. Ministers have already committed to recruiting the 13,000 extra neighbourhood policing officers by 2029, with 3,000 expected to be in post by spring this year.
The latest statistics therefore paint a nuanced portrait of crime in England and Wales: a heartening and historic decline in the most serious violent offences, set against a stubborn rise in theft and fraud, prompting a continued focus on policing strategy and community safety.
