Teenage Homicides in England and Wales Halve to Lowest Level in Over a Decade
Official statistics have revealed a dramatic and encouraging decline in teenage homicides across England and Wales, with the annual figure falling by nearly half to its lowest point in more than a decade. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows a significant reduction in youth violence, strongly linked to a steep drop in offences involving knives and other sharp instruments.
Sharp Decline in Fatal Youth Violence
In the year ending March 2025, there were 34 homicide victims aged between 13 and 19. This represents a substantial 48% decrease from the 66 recorded in the previous 12-month period. The current total is now the lowest since the 2012/13 reporting year, when 31 teenage homicides were documented. This positive trend indicates a meaningful shift in the landscape of serious youth crime.
Knife Crime Drives the Downward Trend
The overall fall appears to be primarily driven by a precipitous decline in teen homicides involving a knife or sharp instrument. These specific offences plummeted by 59% year-on-year, dropping from 54 cases in 2023/24 to just 22 in 2024/25. This sharp reduction is a key factor behind the improved figures for young people.
The broader picture for homicides of all ages also shows improvement, with 522 victims recorded in 2024/25. This is an 8% decrease from 566 the previous year and marks the lowest total since 2014/15. The ONS notes that the homicide rate remains very low compared to most other crime categories, standing at 8.6 per million population—the lowest rate since 1977.
Weapon Use and Demographic Patterns
Focusing on weapon use, a total of 205 homicides in England and Wales in 2024/25 were committed using a knife or sharp instrument. This is down 21% from 261 and is the lowest number recorded since 2014/15. The most commonly used instrument was a kitchen knife, involved in 95 offences. Other weapons included machetes, hunting knives, and swords.
The data also reveals important demographic variations among victims. Of the 205 sharp-instrument homicide victims, 132 were white, a figure almost unchanged from the previous year. However, the number of black victims in this category fell from 66 to 45.
Looking at all homicides, the number of white victims rose slightly from 363 to 367. In contrast, the number of black victims fell by 25%, from 97 to 73—the lowest figure for this group since 2015/16. The largest decline within this group was for black male victims aged 16 to 24, which dropped from 33 to 21. Asian homicide victims decreased from 50 to 39, while victims with mixed or multiple ethnicities saw a slight increase.
Age Disparities Between Ethnic Groups
The ONS highlights clear differences in the age profiles of victims across ethnic groups. While only 7% of white homicide victims in 2024/25 were aged between 16 and 24, the corresponding figure for black victims was significantly higher at 29%. The statistical body notes that this disparity will partly reflect the different age distributions of ethnic groups within the general population.
These comprehensive figures, published as part of the ONS's annual analysis of homicide trends, provide a detailed snapshot of violent crime. The marked reduction in teenage fatalities, particularly those linked to knives, offers a cautiously optimistic sign for communities and policymakers focused on reducing serious youth violence across England and Wales.
