ONS · 8 May 20159 June 2017

Possession of weapons (police-recorded) during the Conservative 2015–2017 government

Year ending March 2015Year ending March 2017 · 2 periods

43.1%+9,426 offences

Possession of weapons (police-recorded) rose by 43.1% over the period, from 21,890 offences (Year ending March 2015, the level when the government took office) to 31,316 (Year ending March 2017, the last complete period before it left office).

  1. Inherited level Year ending March 2015: 21,890
  2. Level when it left Year ending March 2017: 31,316
  3. method: latest complete period before start / before end

Changes during this period do not by themselves show what the government caused. Statistics reflect many influences, including earlier decisions, the economy and how the data is collected.

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

Definition and caveats

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

Doesn’t measure: 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.