London's murder rate has fallen to its lowest level in over a decade, with official figures serving as a direct rebuttal to claims by former US President Donald Trump that crime in the capital is 'through the roof'.
Official Figures Show Significant Decline
Data released on Monday, 12 January 2026, revealed that 97 homicides were recorded in London during 2025. This marks a significant drop from the 109 recorded in 2024 and is the lowest annual total since 2014. The Metropolitan Police stated that, when adjusted for population, the rate of 1.1 homicides per 100,000 people is the lowest since comparable records began in 1997.
To provide context, the force highlighted that this rate compares favourably with other major global cities. Paris reports 1.6 homicides per 100,000, New York 2.8, and Berlin 3.2.
Khan's Rebuttal to 'Dystopian' Claims
London Mayor Sadiq Khan seized on the statistics to challenge critics, notably Donald Trump, who have repeatedly portrayed the city as crime-ridden. Khan told the Associated Press that certain politicians and commentators have been "spamming our social media with an endless stream of distortions and untruths, painting an image of a dystopian London."
"And nothing could be further from the truth," he asserted. Trump has previously labelled Khan a "stone-cold loser" and a "terrible mayor," and claimed in September that crime in London was "through the roof."
Khan argued that London is being used as a political punchbag. "There are certain politicians, certain commentators who have been using London as a punchbag to fit their own political agenda," he said.
Policing Strategy and the Broader Crime Picture
City officials attributed the decline in violent crime to a dual strategy: targeted policing against organised crime groups and the work of a Violence Reduction Unit focused on preventing young people from entering gang life.
However, the news is not uniformly positive across all crime categories. While murder and serious violence have decreased, many Londoners report experiences with street crimes like phone-snatching. Official statistics also document a rise in shoplifting.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales, which measures public experience of crime rather than police-recorded incidents, found overall crime rose by 7% in the year to March 2025 compared to the previous 12 months. Despite this recent increase, the overall level remains significantly lower than in 2017.
Concluding his defence of the capital, Mayor Khan championed London's global status, citing its record levels of tourism, foreign direct investment, and international students. He positioned the city as "the antithesis" of the worldview presented by politicians like Trump and US Vice President JD Vance, who have criticised European immigration policies.
