Understanding Knife Crime Patterns and Trends in the UK

Over the last decade, England has grappled with a rise in knife crimes. These violent offences involving bladed weapons encompass both fatal incidents and varying severities of injuries, disproportionately involving youths as victims and offenders. Some statistics highlight arrests for knife possession, reflecting several proactive policing campaigns, like stop-and-search tactics, aimed at reducing the number of knives carried on the streets over the past 10-15 years. 

Knife crimes experienced a sharp increase in 2016, which continued through 2019. In 2019, knife crimes reached their recorded peak, an increase of 49% from 2011. 

The plot below captures a cumulative count of serious offences involving knives, including homicide, attempted homicide, threats to kill, assault with injury, robbery, and sexual assault. The counts for this plot exclude Greater Manchester’s Police Force Area, which did not submit data for April 2023-2024. 

In 2020, COVID-19 lockdowns produced drastic changes in routine activities and public life, resulting in a reduction in most crime types, including knife crimes. Despite this, the annual count for knife crimes was still higher than in 2016. Since the pandemic, annual knife crime counts have steadily risen again, and in 2023 were nearing the heights recorded in 2019. 

Some 41% of homicides in England and Wales from March 2022 to March 2023 involved sharp instruments, including knives and broken bottles. Further data from March 2024 to March 2025 shows knives were involved in 49% of attempted homicides, 40% of successful homicides, and 28% of robberies. 

Youth and Knife Crime in the U.K.  

There's growing public concern about the overrepresentation of underprivileged, urban-dwelling young people in knife crimes, both as offenders and victims. Ministry of Justice data reveals that between March 2022 and March 2023, 17% of nearly 18,500 cautions or convictions for knife possession involved offenders under 18. In 2022-2023, 42 people aged 16-19 were killed in knife attacks. In 2024, 57 people under the age of 25 were killed in knife attacks. 

Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) are interdisciplinary groups tasked with supervising and developing intervention programmes for minors aged 10-17 who are at risk of or have been involved in knife crimes. These teams focus on a public health approach to addressing the growing concerns around knife crime. Their interventions include diversionary and strength-based activities to offer constructive, prosocial engagement for at-risk youths. Additionally, they provide programs that highlight the risks and impacts of knife crime, alongside mentoring opportunities. 

Not all knife-related assaults are reported to the police, however. National Health Service data showed that there were almost 4,000 hospital visits involving assault from a sharp object from March 2023 to March 2024. 

U.K. Urban Areas and Knife Crime Distribution 

Knife crimes tend to have a higher distribution in dense urban areas. From March 2024 to March 2025, the Metropolitan police dominated offence counts for knife offences, particularly serious offences such as assaults resulting in bodily harm, robbery, sexual assault, and homicides. West Midlands and Greater Manchester also featured high incident counts for these incidents. 

Broader Crime Trends and Data Insight in the U.K. 

The latest official releases in crime data for England and Wales point to continued reductions in most crime types. The number of homicides decreased by 6% and reached its lowest level since March 2014. Offences involving firearms decreased by 21%, driven largely by a 30% decrease in offences involving imitation firearms such as replicas and BB guns. Robbery overall decreased by 3% but experienced a sharp increase in robbery of business property, offset by decreased robbery of personal property. Shoplifting offences increased by 20%, the highest figure since current data recording practices began in 2003. Knife crimes decreased by 1% overall but vary drastically from one police force area to another. 

Knife crime continues to be a pressing issue across major metropolitan areas in England and Wales, disproportionately impacting young people, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds. For organizations and individuals keen on understanding the latest crime risk statistics and trends in their local areas, the Pinkerton Crime Index U.K. is an invaluable resource. It offers insights into how crime risks evolve, helping organizations stay informed.