London has recorded its lowest homicide rate per capita since records began, marking a significant milestone in the capital’s fight against violent crime. New figures show that the number of
murders fell to an 11-year low in 2025, underlining the impact of sustained policing, new technology, and early-intervention programmes aimed at tackling violence before it starts.
Data released on Monday, 12 January, confirms there were 97 homicides in London during 2025 — an 11 per cent reduction on the previous year, when 109 killings were recorded. It is the lowest total since 2014, despite London’s population increasing by more than half a million people over the same period.
The Metropolitan Police say the results are driven by a combination of relentless enforcement and smarter, more targeted prevention. Officers are now arresting around 1,000 additional offenders each month, using intelligence-led tactics and innovative tools such as live facial recognition to identify and apprehend the most dangerous individuals. At the same time, specialist teams are focusing on dismantling organised crime groups, violent gangs, and predatory offenders who pose the greatest risk to women and children.
Violence across the capital has fallen sharply alongside the drop in murders. Incidents involving injury are down by around 20 per cent, while firearm discharges are now less than half the level recorded seven years ago. London’s homicide rate currently stands at 1.1 per 100,000 people — the lowest of any UK city and below many comparable global cities, including New York, Berlin, Milan and Toronto. It is also significantly lower than rates seen in major US cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.
One of the most striking improvements has been in serious violence involving young people. Teenage homicide fell to its joint lowest level in nearly 30 years, matching a record last seen in 2012. In 2025, there were just eight teenage victims — a 73 per cent reduction since 2021 — with teenagers accounting for only 8.3 per cent of all homicides in London. The capital also recorded the fewest murders of under-25s this century.
A central pillar of this progress has been the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which focuses on prevention and early intervention. Since its launch in 2019, the VRU has delivered more than 550,000 targeted interventions designed to steer young people away from gangs and violence. Its work includes tackling school exclusions and absenteeism, funding after-school activities, and placing youth workers in police custody suites and hospital A&E departments. As a result, 80 per cent of under-18s supported by the programme do not reoffend within a year, while more than three-quarters reduce their risk of harm.
The contrast with previous years is stark. When the VRU was established, the number of young people killed in London was three times higher than it is today. Over the same period, hospital admissions of young people for knife injuries have fallen by 43 per cent.
The Met’s enforcement strategy has been equally uncompromising. Officers have carried out more than 21,000 disruptions against serious and organised crime groups, removed thousands of knives and firearms from the streets, and made more than 1,600 arrests linked to drug and county lines networks in the past year alone. These operations target criminal groups that not only traffic drugs but also exploit vulnerable people and fuel wider violence across communities.
Technology and data have played a growing role. Specialist units use surveillance, device monitoring and precision manhunts to identify offenders most likely to commit serious harm. The V100 programme, a flagship initiative aimed at protecting women and girls, uses intelligence to identify predatory men who pose the greatest risk and proactively pursues them for any offences committed, ensuring they face the toughest possible sentences.
The Met’s homicide detectives have also delivered strong justice outcomes. In 2025, 95 per cent of homicide investigations resulted in a positive outcome, placing London among the best-performing major cities in the world for solving murders. Senior officers say this success reflects both investigative expertise and sustained support for victims’ families.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “I am privileged to lead such extraordinary people. Three years ago, I pledged that we would make London safer through more trust and less crime. London’s record‑low homicide rate is the result of relentless work: arresting 1,000 more offenders each month, using innovative technology such as live facial recognition to solve more crime, and taking precise action against the most dangerous gangs, organised criminals, and predatory men who target women and children.
“The results speak for themselves: fewer lives lost, fewer families shattered. Every murder is a tragedy, but we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to drive down serious violence. This work will not stop, and neither will our determination to keep Londoners safe.”
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "Many people have been trying to talk London down, but the evidence tells a very different story. Last year London had the lowest murder rate per capita since records began, the fewest murders of those aged under 25 this century, and one of the lowest number of homicides for almost three decades.
“It's clear that our sustained focus on being both tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime is working. This includes investing in intervention and prevention work led by my Violence Reduction Unit - the first in England. At the same time, we’re supporting the Met by more than doubling City Hall’s investment in policing to help boost police numbers and relentlessly target the worst offenders and criminal gangs.
"But we are not complacent. One death will always be one too many. That's why I'll continue to do all I can to invest in the police and provide positive opportunities for young Londoners so that we can build on this significant progress and continue making London safer for everyone."
Public confidence in policing has also improved. Recent surveys show that 81 per cent of Londoners believe the Met is doing a good or fair job in their local area, while 74 per cent say they trust the organisation. Trust among Black Londoners has risen by 10 per cent, and the confidence gap between men and women has now closed.
Despite the progress, police leaders and City Hall stress that there is no room for complacency. Policing alone, they say, cannot end serious violence. Continued partnership with communities, schools, health services and youth organisations remains essential if London is to build on these gains and ensure that fewer lives are lost to violence in the years ahead.
Director of London’s VRU Lib Peck said: Lib Peck, Director of London’s VRU, said: “A lot has been painted about safety in London, but the fact is homicide levels are at record lows and violence continues to fall.
“There is clearly more to do to close the gap and challenge online narratives so that people also feel safe, but the data last year shows we are making consistent progress. When we were set up more than six years ago, London’s homicide rate of young people was three times higher than it is today and last year registered the fewest number of homicides of young people this century.
“Prevention and the work of thousands of youth workers, mentors, teachers and all those who work closely with young people, have become a key part of London’s approach. We will continue to work in partnership across London to invest in young people and in youth clubs because we’re committed to keeping young people safe and supporting them to thrive.” Photo by Cnyborg, Wikimedia commons.