London has marked a major milestone in public safety, with the city’s homicide rate falling to its lowest level since records began. New figures released on 12 January 2026 show that there were 97 homicides in London in 2025, an 11 per cent decrease on the 109 recorded in 2024 and the lowest total since 2014, despite the capital’s population having grown by more than half a million people over that period.
Chief among the reasons for this success has been a comprehensive crackdown led by the Metropolitan Police, combining traditional policing with innovative technology and a focus on prevention. Met officers are now making an extra 1,000 arrests each month and using tools like Live Facial Recognition to disrupt serious and organised crime. The force has achieved a 95 per cent positive outcome rate for homicide investigations, reinforcing confidence that justice is being delivered.
London’s homicide rate per capita now stands at just 1.1 per 100,000 people, making it lower than any other UK city and below rates in comparable global cities such as New York (2.8), Berlin (3.2), Milan (1.6) and Toronto (1.6).
The drop in killings has been matched by broader reductions in serious violence. Violent incidents resulting in injury fell by a fifth, and firearms discharges are now less than half of what they were seven years ago.
A key element in London’s progress has been the work of the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which tackles root causes of crime through early intervention. The VRU has delivered more than 550,000 targeted interventions aimed at diverting young people away from gangs and violence. It works with schools to address exclusions and absenteeism, funds after-school activities and places support workers in police custody suites and emergency departments.
This multi-pronged approach has led to a dramatic reduction in youth violence. Teenage homicides dropped to just eight victims in 2025, a 73 per cent decline since 2021, and the fewest under-25 homicides this century.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Mayor Sadiq Khan have both highlighted that while there is more work to be done, the data demonstrates that London is making real progress in creating safer communities across the capital.
