ONS · 5 July 2024 – present
Offences involving a knife or sharp instrument during the Labour 2024– government
↓ 9.7%−5,221 offences
Offences involving a knife or sharp instrument fell by 9.7% over the period, from 53,995 offences (Year ending March 2024, the level when the government took office) to 48,774 (Year ending March 2026, the latest available).
- Inherited level Year ending March 2024: 53,995
- Latest Year ending March 2026: 48,774
- 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.
Definition and caveats
The number of selected serious offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in a 12-month period that involved a knife or sharp instrument: homicide, attempted murder, threats to kill, assault with injury, robbery, rape and sexual assault.
Doesn’t measure: Possession of a knife without it being used, offences not reported to the police, or knife offences outside the selected categories.