Knife crime in England and Wales falls 10% to lowest level since early pandemic, ONS data shows
Knife crime in England and Wales fell by 10% in 2025 to its lowest level since the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Forces recorded 49,151 knife offences last year, down from 54,548 in 2024.
The total is lower than the 49,190 recorded in 2021/22 but remains above the 44,728 logged in 2020/21, the first year of the pandemic. Overall, 29 of the 44 police forces in England and Wales recorded year-on-year declines in knife crime in 2025. The three largest forces all saw double-digit falls: the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police were each down 17%, and West Midlands Police recorded a 15% drop.
Homicides involving a knife or sharp instrument decreased by 21% to 172 in 2025, from 217 the previous year, the lowest annual number since comparable data began in 2010/11. Nearly half of forces (20 out of 44) reported a fall in homicides, including the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police.
The total number of homicides across England and Wales also fell, down 6% to 503 from 534 in 2024. The ONS data recorded a slight decline in shoplifting, from 516,611 offences in 2024 to 509,566 in 2025.
However, the Home Office issued a clarification to forces in April 2025 stating that when a theft from a retail premises involves the use or threat of violence, it should be recorded as robbery of business property rather than shoplifting. That change may account for part of a 78% rise in offences recorded as robbery of businesses, which increased from 14,691 in 2024 to 26,158 in 2025.
Responding to the figures, crime and policing minister Sarah Jones said the government is “driving down crimes that blight communities and have previously gone unpunished,” adding: “We will continue to build on this progress and not stop until every community feels a change.” She said 17% more charges were brought against shoplifters in 2025 and said policing reforms would deliver “lasting change.” Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said shoplifting recorded by police had risen 8% since the general election, claiming that “shop workers face more risk confronting a thief than the thief faces from the police.” The ONS cautioned that increases in police-recorded offences over the last decade have been largely influenced by improvements in recording standards, and therefore police-recorded crime is not considered a reliable indicator of overall crime trends.