Homicides at lowest level for more than 40 years as knife crime falls

Police-recorded homicides in England and Wales have fallen to their lowest level in more than 40 years – driven by a drop in knife crime, figures show.Some 499 homicides were recorded in the year to September 2025, down 7% from 539 in the previous 12 months.It is the lowest annual total since 1983, when 482 offences were recorded as homicides, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).