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New data from the Metropolitan Police reveals that the number of homicides in London has dropped to its lowest point in over a decade. In 2025, the city recorded 97 homicides, marking the smallest annual total since 2014. When adjusted for population size, this equates to a rate of 1.1 per 100,000 residents, which is notably lower than that of cities such as New York (2.8), Berlin (3.2), and Milan (1.6). According to the Met, this is the lowest homicide rate ever documented in London once demographics are considered.
In addition to the overall decline, teenage homicides have significantly decreased. After reaching a high in 2021, when 30 youths were killed, last year witnessed just eight teenage deaths due to violence—the lowest since 2012. These figures coincide with recent crime statistics from England and Wales that also show a nationwide drop in homicides. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported 518 homicides in the year leading up to June 2025, down 6% from the previous year and 27% below pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019-20.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley attributed the decrease to targeted police strategies against criminal gangs and advancements in technology, such as live facial recognition. He stated, “It’s the product of amazing police work as we attack with ever more precision the most dangerous men who carry weapons, who groom children into gangs, who prey on women.” Commissioner Rowley also commended the preventative efforts led by London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), established by Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan in 2019, crediting it with helping transform the lives of young people at risk from gang involvement and drug dealers.
Despite the positive trends, concerns remain. VRU director Lib Peck acknowledged ongoing challenges but highlighted steady improvement, pointing out that when the unit was founded over six years ago, youth homicide rates in London were three times higher than today. Meanwhile, Sir Mark recognized that perceptions of safety vary, influenced in part by polarized and sometimes misleading social media content. Mayor Sadiq Khan echoed frustration over negative portrayals of London, referencing critics such as former US President Donald Trump, who previously accused him of failing to manage the city’s crime effectively. Both the mayor and the commissioner currently face pressure to restore public confidence in policing amid revelations of misconduct by some officers over the past decade
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