Knife Crime in England & Wales: The Latest Statistics and What They Mean for Safeguarding

The Scale of the Problem

Around 53,000 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument were recorded in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025, according to the Commons Library Research Briefing SN04304 (October 2025), drawing on ONS police-recorded crime data. This is a 1.2% fall compared with 2023/24, and 3.8% below the 2019/20 pre-pandemic level — though figures remain significantly elevated compared with a decade ago.

These figures cover all offences where a knife or sharp instrument was involved — from robbery and assault to homicide. The year-on-year decline is encouraging, but safeguarding professionals should note that levels remain historically high, and that the distribution of knife crime is increasingly concentrated in specific force areas and demographic groups.

Who Is at Risk?

Young people are disproportionately both the victims and perpetrators of knife crime. Key demographic findings from the Home Office and ONS:

• Victims aged 10–24 account for approximately 43% of all knife crime victims
• Males aged 15–24 are the group most likely to be both victim and offender
• NHS England recorded 3,500 hospital episodes for assault by a sharp object in 2024/25 — a 10.4% decrease year-on-year (NHS England, HES 2024/25), though serious harm remains high
• 18% of cautions and convictions for knife possession are juveniles aged 10–17 (Ministry of Justice, year ending March 2023)
• Children as young as 10 have been arrested for knife possession offences
• Black boys and young men are disproportionately represented in both victim and offender statistics — a finding that demands both targeted safeguarding and critical awareness of systemic inequity

Urban vs Rural: Where Is It Happening?

Knife crime is disproportionately concentrated in metropolitan areas. The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest rate nationally at 182 offences per 100,000 population in 2024/25 — compared with Cumbria at the lowest, 31 per 100,000 (ONS police force area data). London accounts for around 23–25% of all knife crime in England and Wales despite housing approximately 15% of the population.

However, the assumption that knife crime is exclusively an urban problem is both inaccurate and dangerous for safeguarding purposes. The National Rural Crime Network and NCA county lines data confirm that knife violence has risen significantly in market towns, coastal communities and rural areas, often driven by drug supply networks exploiting local children.

Implications for Schools and Safeguarding Teams

Knife crime is a safeguarding issue, not merely a criminal justice one. Under the Serious Violence Duty 2022, schools in specified areas are statutory partners in local serious violence reduction strategies. KCSIE 2025 explicitly requires schools to have policies and awareness relating to serious violence and exploitation.

Practical steps for safeguarding leads:

• Ensure your serious violence policy is current and staff have received training on warning signs
• Engage with your Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) — all 18 VRU areas offer school-facing resources
• Refer any suspected weapon-carrying to your DSL immediately; schools may conduct searches under the Education Act 1996
• Use whole-school approaches — assemblies, PSHE, mentoring — not just reactive exclusions

Sources: Commons Library Research Briefing SN04304 (October 2025); ONS, Crime in England and Wales, Year Ending December 2025 (April 2026); Home Office, Homicide in England and Wales, Year Ending March 2024; Ministry of Justice, Criminal Justice Statistics; NHS England, Hospital Episode Statistics 2024/25; DfE, Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025; HM Government, Serious Violence Duty Statutory Guidance 2022. Last reviewed: June 2026.