Homicides in England and Wales at lowest level for nearly 50 years

Homicides in England and Wales fell to the lowest level in nearly 50 years in the latest sign of decline in the most serious forms of violence, figures released on Thursday have shown.

The number of murders, manslaughters and infanticides fell to 499 in the 12 months to September, down 7 per cent from the same period a year before. Police forces also recorded 9 per cent fewer offences involving knives than in the previous year and 9 per cent fewer firearms offences.

The homicide figure was the lowest since the adoption of the current reporting method, in the year to March 2003. It was the lowest level recorded under any method since 1977, when the population of England and Wales was nearly 20 per cent lower.

However, police recorded 5 per cent more shoplifting offences than in the previous year and there was a 66 per cent increase in robberies from business properties — offences such as hold-ups where shop staff are threatened into handing over cash or other valuables.

The decline in unlawful killings is the latest evidence of the overall success of efforts in England and Wales to tackle the most serious violent crime, much of it through treating it as a public health problem that can be tackled by addressing the underlying causes.

Earlier this month, London’s Metropolitan Police revealed that there had been 97 homicides in the capital during 2025, the lowest number since 2014. The figure represented London’s lowest recorded homicide rate because the capital’s population has grown by about 500,000 in the last 12 years.

Thursday’s figures were a mixture of statistics for crime recorded by police and crime captured by the Crime Survey of England and Wales. Statisticians treat most police-recorded crime with caution because it can be subject to major changes depending on police recording practices and the public’s willingness to report crimes. However, figures for rare, easy to count offences such as homicide are regarded as reliable.

Statisticians regard the crime survey, based on interviews with the public, as a more reliable gauge of the prevalence of the most common offences, such as burglary.

The crime survey found no statistically significant change in the level of violent offences compared with the year before. Levels of violent offences were 34 per cent down on the figure for the year to March 2015 and 74 per cent lower than the peak in the year to December 1995.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government was having “real success” tackling the crimes that terrorised communities.

But she added: “The crimes that tear at the fabric of communities, like shop theft and shop robbery, continue to rise and we must do more.”