Civometry

Answered from official statistics · ONS

Is knife crime rising?

Year ending March 2026

48,774offences

Offences involving a knife or sharp instrument were 48,774 offences in the year ending March 2026, down 8.1% (4,322) from 53,096 in the year ending March 2025.

  1. ONS
  2. Crime in England and Wales: Appendix tables
  3. Table B5a
  4. published 23 July 2026
  5. full metric page

Offences involving a knife or sharp instrument: 48,774 offences, Year ending March 2026

The number of selected serious offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in a 12-month period that involved a knife or sharp instrument: homicide, attempted murder, threats to kill, assault with injury, robbery, rape and sexual assault.

Offences involving a knife or sharp instrument: Year ending March 2020 to Year ending March 2026ConservativeConservativeLabourLabour020k40k2020202120222023202420252026Year ending March 2020: 55,170 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2021: 44,728 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2022: 49,189 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2023: 51,741 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2024: 53,995 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2025: 53,096 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2026: 48,774 offences · published 23 July 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Possession of weapons (police-recorded): 62,347 offences, Year ending March 2026

Police-recorded offences of possessing a weapon, including knives and firearms, in England and Wales in a 12-month period.

Possession of weapons (police-recorded): Year ending March 2003 to Year ending March 2026LabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour020k40k60k20052010201520202025Year ending March 2003: 36,379 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2004: 39,021 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2005: 40,605 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2006: 39,711 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2007: 38,937 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2008: 37,079 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2009: 35,662 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2010: 28,758 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2011: 26,327 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2012: 23,688 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2013: 19,910 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2014: 20,623 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2015: 21,890 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2016: 25,835 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2017: 31,316 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2018: 39,059 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2019: 46,493 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2020: 47,685 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2021: 44,703 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2022: 49,024 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2023: 57,648 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2024: 58,325 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2025: 57,746 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2026: 62,347 offences · published 23 July 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Since the current government took office

MetricInheritedLatestChange
Offences involving a knife or sharp instrument53,995Year ending March 202448,774Year ending March 2026↓ 9.7%
Possession of weapons (police-recorded)58,325Year ending March 202462,347Year ending March 2026↑ 6.9%

Changes during a government do not by themselves show what it caused. Method.

What these figures don’t measure

Offences involving a knife or sharp instrument: Possession of a knife without it being used, offences not reported to the police, or knife offences outside the selected categories.

Possession of weapons (police-recorded): Offences where a weapon was used, which are counted under violence or robbery, or the level of weapon carrying; these offences are mostly found through police activity.