London Homicides Hit Lowest Level Since 2014, Police Data Shows

The number of homicides in London fell to their lowest level in more than a decade last year, according to UK police data released on Monday, as Mayor Sadiq Khan continues to face criticism over crime in the British capital.

A total of 97 homicides were recorded in 2025, the lowest figure since 2014. Police said London’s homicide rate per capita was also the lowest since records began in 1997.

“Many people have been trying to talk London down, but the evidence tells a very different story,” Khan said in a statement. “It’s clear that our sustained focus on being both tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime is working.”

Khan, a Labour Party politician and London’s first Muslim mayor, has faced sustained attacks from Conservative and far-right figures in the UK, as well as from international commentators such as X owner Elon Musk, who have claimed that crime is rising in the city. Some critics have linked their accusations to the mayor’s pro-immigration stance. Khan has also been the target of increasing Islamophobic abuse online.

The Metropolitan Police echoed the mayor’s assessment, saying violent crime had declined significantly. “The statistics speak for themselves — London is a safe place to live, work and visit,” the Met said in a press release, crediting the efforts of police officers for reducing violence.

Police data showed that violent incidents resulting in injury have fallen by around 20 percent since 2014. Separate National Health Service figures indicated that hospital admissions for stabbing-related injuries in London dropped by nearly 30 percent over the past five years.

Despite London’s growing population, police said the city’s homicide rate per capita was at a record low and lower than that of other major global cities, including New York, Paris, Los Angeles and Berlin.

However, the latest data did not cover other categories of crime such as theft and sexual offences. Phone theft remains a major concern, with the Met recording 117,211 stolen phones in 2024 — a 25 percent increase from 91,481 cases in 2019.

Anti-immigration party Reform UK said last week that tackling crime in London would be a central focus ahead of key local elections in May and the mayoral election scheduled for 2028. The party’s mayoral candidate, Laila Cunningham, said London “is no longer safe,” particularly for women.