The latest official figures for England and Wales show serious violence edging down rather than rising. In the year ending June 2026, police recorded 512 homicides (down 1%) and 48,615 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument (down 6%), while the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated 939,000 incidents of violence, with no statistically significant change on the year before. This guide explains where those numbers come from, what they cover, and what they mean for you and your home.
All figures below come from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), mainly its Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2026 bulletin, published on 22 October 2026. Each figure says which period it covers, because the ONS uses different time windows for different measures.
Where UK violent crime statistics come from
There is no single “violent crime” number. The ONS uses two main sources, and they measure different things.
- The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) asks people aged 16 and over about crimes they have experienced in the last 12 months, whether or not they told the police. It is the better guide to long-term trends for the crimes it covers, because it is not affected by changes in how police record offences.
- Police recorded crime counts offences reported to and recorded by the 43 police forces in England and Wales plus the British Transport Police. The ONS says it is “not always a good indicator of general trends in crime” because recording practices change over time, but it gives more insight into rarer, high-harm offences such as homicide and knife crime.
These figures cover England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland publish their own crime statistics, which use different definitions and are not directly comparable.
Violent crime statistics at a glance
| Measure | Latest figure | Change | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicides (police recorded) | 512 offences | Down 1% (from 519) | Year ending June 2026 |
| Knife or sharp instrument offences (police recorded) | 48,615 offences | Down 6% (from 51,567) | Year ending June 2026 |
| Firearms offences (police recorded) | 5,065 offences | Down 8% (from 5,477) | Year ending June 2026 |
| Violence with or without injury (CSEW) | 939,000 incidents | No statistically significant change | Year ending June 2026 |
| Violence with injury (police recorded) | 508,721 offences | Down 1% | Year ending June 2026 |
| Violence without injury (police recorded) | 834,095 offences | Up 2% (from 819,402) | Year ending June 2026 |
| Robbery of personal property (police recorded) | 57,193 offences | Down 7% | Year ending June 2026 |
Homicide
Police in England and Wales recorded 512 homicides in the year ending June 2026, a 1% fall from 519 the year before. That is a rate of 8.3 homicides per million people, down from 8.4. Homicides involving a knife or sharp instrument fell by 9% to 179.
The ONS publishes a more detailed annual analysis of homicide. Its Homicide in England and Wales: year ending March 2025 article (published February 2026) found:
- 522 homicide victims, 8% fewer than the previous year (566).
- A knife or sharp instrument was the most common method of killing for both male and female victims (39%).
- Adult women were most commonly killed by a partner or ex-partner (40%) or a family member (16%).
- For adult men, the suspect was more commonly a friend or acquaintance (20%) or a stranger (18%).
The pattern is important: homicide is rare, and when it happens the victim and suspect very often know each other.
Knife and weapon crime
Police recorded 48,615 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year ending June 2026, 6% fewer than the year before and 12% lower than the year ending March 2020 (55,170). According to the ONS:
- 44% of knife-enabled offences were assaults with injury or assault with intent to cause serious harm, and 39% were robberies.
- The Metropolitan Police recorded 28% of all knife-enabled offences, West Midlands Police 7% and Greater Manchester Police 6%. All three recorded falls on the previous year.
- Provisional NHS figures showed 3,218 hospital admissions for assault by a sharp object, down 8%.
Offences involving firearms also fell, by 8% to 5,065.
Violence with and without injury
The Crime Survey estimated 939,000 incidents of violence with or without injury against people aged 16 and over in the year ending June 2026. That was not a statistically significant change on the previous year, but it was 36% lower than a decade earlier (1.5 million incidents in the year ending March 2016) and 79% below the peak in 1995.
Around 0.7% of adults said they had been a victim of violence by a stranger in the last year, and 0.4% by an acquaintance. In other words, the large majority of people do not experience violence in a given year.
Police recorded figures tell a slightly different story: violence without injury rose 2% to 834,095 offences, while violence with injury fell 1% to 508,721. Police totals are higher than the survey partly because they include offences the survey does not cover (such as crimes against under-16s and businesses), and partly because of changes in how forces record crime.
Robbery
Robbery of personal property (for example, a phone or bag taken by force or threat) fell by 7% to 57,193 offences. Overall robbery rose by 10% to 88,282, but the ONS says this was mainly because of improvements in how robbery of business property is recorded, following a clarification of counting rules in April 2025. The Crime Survey estimated 54,000 robbery incidents against individuals.
Domestic abuse, stalking and harassment
The ONS reports these as the percentage of people affected, using the survey year ending March 2026:
- 9.6% of people aged 16 and over (around 4.7 million) had experienced domestic abuse in the last year, up from 7.8% the year before. The ONS says changes to the questionnaire have likely affected this estimate, and that it is too early to say whether it marks a new trend.
- 3.9% (around 1.9 million people) had experienced stalking.
- 10.0% had experienced some form of harassment, up from 8.3% the year before.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. For non-emergencies, contact your local police on 101.
How to read violent crime statistics without being misled
- Check the period. “Year ending June 2026” covers July 2025 to June 2026 for police data, and some measures (like domestic abuse) use a different survey year.
- Check the source. Survey estimates and police counts are not interchangeable, and headlines often mix them.
- Look for “statistically significant”. A survey change that is not significant may just be sampling noise.
- Watch for recording changes. The rise in overall robbery is a good example of a jump driven by how crime is counted rather than by more crime happening.
- Think about rates, not just totals. A rate per person (such as 8.3 homicides per million people) is easier to compare over time than a raw count.
What the figures mean for your safety at home
Most violent crime in these statistics does not involve someone breaking into a home. Stranger violence affects under 1% of adults a year, and serious violence is falling. That is reassuring, but statistics do not stop people worrying about a door being forced while they are inside, especially at night or when living alone. Sensible, low-cost steps help with both the risk and the peace of mind:
- Lock up when you are in. Keep external doors locked, including the back door, and take the key out of the lock.
- Check your cylinder. Many uPVC doors use euro cylinders that can be vulnerable to snapping. Our guide to anti-snap locks explains what to look for.
- Do not open the door to unexpected callers. Use a door viewer, window or video doorbell first, and ask for ID from anyone claiming to be from a utility or council.
- Add a second line of defence at night. A device fitted from the inside means the door stays shut even if the lock fails.
For a wider checklist, see how to secure your home, and our explainer on what a home invasion is.
A second barrier for uPVC doors
The Door Jammer – HOLDOOR hooks under the inside handle of a uPVC door and braces it against the floor, so the door stays shut even if the lock is snapped, bumped or picked. It is Sold Secure Bronze rated and Secured by Design accredited (Police Preferred Specification). It adjusts from 70cm to 120cm, fits most UK single-handle uPVC doors with the handle on the left or right, and needs no drilling or tools. It is fitted from the inside, so it is for when someone is at home, and it is not suitable for sliding, French, double or patio doors.
In a fire: find the key, lift the Door Jammer off (or unlock and remove the Door Handle Guard), unlock the door and leave the building.
FAQs
Is violent crime going up in the UK?
In England and Wales, the latest figures do not show a rise in serious violence. Homicides, knife-enabled offences and firearms offences all fell in the year ending June 2026, and the Crime Survey showed no statistically significant change in violence, which is 36% lower than a decade ago. Some police recorded categories, such as violence without injury, rose slightly.
How many homicides are there in England and Wales each year?
Police recorded 512 homicides in the year ending June 2026, a rate of 8.3 per million people.
Why do police figures and survey figures differ?
The Crime Survey asks people what happened to them, including crimes never reported. Police figures count offences that were reported and recorded, and they are affected by changes in recording practice. The survey is usually better for trends; police data is better for rare, serious offences.
How often are violent crime statistics updated?
The ONS publishes Crime in England and Wales every quarter, each covering a rolling 12-month period. More detailed articles on homicide and the nature of violent crime are published less often.
Next steps
The numbers say serious violence is rare and falling, but feeling safe behind your own front door still matters. Start with the basics: lock up when you are in, check your cylinder and be careful with unexpected callers. If you have a uPVC front or back door and want an extra barrier at night, the Door Jammer – HOLDOOR is made in Britain from British steel and is £90 (offer ends 31 December 2026), with free UK delivery, 30-day returns and a 2-year warranty. Questions? See our FAQs.
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