The number of rape offences recorded by police in England and Wales has reached a record high, with more than 74,000 reported in 2025, new data published on Thursday showed. Prosecutors are also handling more rape cases than at any point in the last decade, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed.
Rise in Charges and Recorded Offences
Charges for rape in the year ending December 2025 rose by 29 per cent compared to the previous year, from 5,233 to 6,727, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Overall, police recorded 74,174 rape offences in 2025, up from 70,898 in 2024, marking the highest number since data collection began in 2002/3.
The increase is partly attributed to improved police recording practices and a greater willingness among victims to come forward. Home Office analysis confirms this upward trend, which has been observed over the past decade.
Minister Pledges Action
Home Office minister Jess Phillips, responsible for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, described the data as evidence that urgent action is needed. She stated: "For too long, women and girls have been forced to change their behaviour to keep themselves safe. We will never accept that. That's why we are placing the responsibility firmly where it belongs - on perpetrators." She added that the government will "deploy the full power of the state to halve violence against women and girls in a decade."
Phillips promised to accelerate the rollout of specialist rape and sexual offence teams in every police force across England and Wales.
Sexual Offences Overall
The total number of sexual offences recorded in 2025 rose by 5 per cent to 215,180, up from 204,568 the previous year. CPS data also showed that 1,277 prosecutions for rape were completed in the winter of 2025.
Knife Crime Falls
In contrast to the rise in sexual offences, knife crime continued to decline. Homicides involving a knife or sharp instrument fell by 21 per cent in 2025, with 172 such deaths recorded, down from 217 in 2024. This is the lowest annual number since comparable data began in 2010/11. Overall knife crime dropped by 10 per cent, with 49,151 offences logged, down from 54,548 in 2024.
Total homicides in England and Wales also fell by 6 per cent to 503 in 2025, down from 534 in 2024. Police recorded 5.24 million offences overall (excluding fraud and computer misuse), a 2 per cent decrease from 5.34 million in 2024.
Responses to Crime Trends
Katie Kempen, chief executive of charity Victim Support, welcomed the reduction in knife crime but stressed that "every case is one too many." She noted that behind each statistic is a person deprived of their life and grieving loved ones. She also highlighted that fraud remains at "epidemic levels" and urged the government to be bolder in tackling it.
Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones commented on the falling violent crime figures, saying the "direction of travel is clear" and promising continued progress until every community feels a change.
