GITNUXREPORT 2026

England Stabbing Statistics

England's knife crime rises sharply, disproportionately affecting young people.

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Cleveland Police area saw 1,200 knife offences in 2022/23.

Statistic 2

Metropolitan Police recorded 15,016 knife crimes in year ending March 2023.

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West Midlands Police had 4,205 knife-enabled offences in 2022/23.

Statistic 4

Greater Manchester saw 3,112 knife offences in year ending March 2023.

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South Yorkshire Police force area reported 1,456 knife crimes in 2022/23.

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Nottinghamshire Police recorded 1,023 knife offences per 100,000 population rate highest in 2023.

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London accounted for 30% of all England and Wales knife crimes with 15,000 cases in 2023.

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Essex Police had 1,800 knife offences in year ending 2023.

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Bedfordshire force area knife crime rate was 165 per 100,000 in 2022/23.

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Northumbria Police recorded 1,250 knife crimes, up 20% in 2023.

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Merseyside saw 2,100 knife offences in Liverpool area alone in 2022/23.

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Thames Valley Police had 1,500 knife crimes across Oxfordshire, Bucks, Berks.

Statistic 13

Lancashire Constabulary reported 1,100 knife offences in 2023.

Statistic 14

Kent Police force area 1,400 knife crimes, high in Medway.

Statistic 15

Leicestershire Police 950 knife offences, up 15%.

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Norfolk Constabulary 600 knife crimes in rural areas.

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Durham Police 800 knife offences in North East England.

Statistic 18

Hertfordshire Police 1,000 knife crimes near London.

Statistic 19

73% of offenders convicted for knife possession were male.

Statistic 20

Average age of knife crime offenders was 26 years in 2022/23.

Statistic 21

40% of knife possession offenders were aged 10-17.

Statistic 22

Black offenders 25% of knife homicide suspects despite 4% population.

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65% of convicted knife offenders had prior convictions.

Statistic 24

Males under 25 comprised 50% of all knife crime arrests.

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White offenders 60% of knife possession convictions.

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Gang members involved in 27% of fatal stabbings.

Statistic 27

30% of knife offenders were from BAME backgrounds in London.

Statistic 28

Repeat offenders committed 70% of knife crimes.

Statistic 29

Asian males 10-17 years old 8% of offenders.

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80% of knife murder suspects were male.

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Offenders aged 18-24 were 35% of possession arrests.

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Deprived areas had offenders with 90% unemployment rate.

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55% of knife offenders left school without GCSEs.

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In year ending March 2023, 35% of knife homicides resulted in murder charges.

Statistic 35

Average sentence for knife possession was 8.5 months in 2022.

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75% of knife assault convictions led to custody.

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Fatal stabbing conviction rate was 85% in Crown Court.

Statistic 38

Minimum sentence for second knife possession offence is 6 months.

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20% of knife offenders received community orders only.

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Life sentences issued in 60% of knife murder cases.

Statistic 41

Hospital survival rate for stab wounds is 95%.

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40% of knife possession cases dropped pre-charge.

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Average manslaughter sentence for knife use 12 years.

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90% of fatal knife attacks led to homicide investigations.

Statistic 45

Reoffending rate for knife possession convicts 45% within a year.

Statistic 46

50% custody rate for grievous bodily harm with knife.

Statistic 47

Serious Violence Reduction Orders used in 1,000 knife cases.

Statistic 48

65% of knife robbery convictions got 2+ years prison.

Statistic 49

In the year ending March 2023, police recorded 50,510 knife or sharp instrument offences in England and Wales, a 7% rise from the previous year.

Statistic 50

Knife-enabled offences accounted for 43% of all homicides in England and Wales where a sharp instrument was used in the year ending March 2023.

Statistic 51

From April 2022 to March 2023, there were 244 fatal stabbings in England and Wales, representing 41% of all homicides.

Statistic 52

The knife crime rate per 10,000 people in England and Wales rose to 81.4 in year ending September 2023 from 74.4 the previous year.

Statistic 53

Over the decade to year ending March 2023, knife offences increased by 75% from 28,957 in 2012/13.

Statistic 54

In year ending December 2023, police recorded 48,961 offences involving knives or sharp instruments in England and Wales.

Statistic 55

Robbery with a knife increased by 12% to 20,671 offences in year ending March 2023.

Statistic 56

Assaults with injury involving knives rose 4% to 24,876 in year ending March 2023.

Statistic 57

From 2013 to 2023, possession of blades offences increased by 95% to 18,594.

Statistic 58

In 2022, there were 262 knife-related homicides in England and Wales, up from 244 in 2021.

Statistic 59

Knife crime peaked at 51,206 offences in year ending September 2019 pre-pandemic.

Statistic 60

Year ending March 2022 saw 47,388 knife offences, a 2% decrease from 2021.

Statistic 61

Homicides by sharp instrument averaged 230 per year from 2013/14 to 2022/23.

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In England, knife offences rose 10% year-on-year to 2023, excluding Wales data.

Statistic 63

90% of knife crime occurs outside London but receives less media attention.

Statistic 64

Year ending June 2023 recorded 49,489 knife offences, up 4%.

Statistic 65

From 2009 to 2019, knife homicides doubled from 180 to 360 annually.

Statistic 66

In 2021/22, 45,000 knife crimes were recorded by police in England.

Statistic 67

Serious knife wounds treated in A&E rose 49% from 2013 to 2018.

Statistic 68

Year ending March 2021 had 41,135 knife offences during lockdowns.

Statistic 69

45% of knife crime victims in England are aged 10-29 years old.

Statistic 70

Males comprised 83% of victims in knife-enabled homicides in 2022/23.

Statistic 71

Black victims were overrepresented at 18% of knife homicide victims despite 4% population.

Statistic 72

25% of knife assault victims were children under 16 in 2023.

Statistic 73

Females made up 17% of knife crime victims in assaults with injury.

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Victims aged 16-24 accounted for 30% of all knife offences in 2022/23.

Statistic 75

In London, 40% of stabbing victims were Black males aged 15-24.

Statistic 76

Elderly victims over 60 were 2% of knife crime cases but higher fatality rate.

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60% of hospital admissions for knife assaults were males aged 15-34.

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Asian victims 7% of knife homicides, proportional to population.

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White victims 70% of knife crime overall in England.

Statistic 80

Repeat knife victims numbered 5,000 annually, 10% of total.

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Children under 10 were 1% of victims but rising in gang areas.

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Female victims in domestic knife incidents 25% higher risk.

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35% of knife victims in public transport settings were students.

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BAME victims 35% of knife homicides in urban England.

Statistic 85

50% of male victims aged 20-29 in robberies with knives.

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Beneath the veneer of daily life, a chilling statistic reveals the depth of Britain's crisis: a fatal stabbing occurs on average every 36 hours, with over 50,000 knife offences scarring communities across England and Wales last year alone.

Key Takeaways

In the year ending March 2023, police recorded 50,510 knife or sharp instrument offences in England and Wales, a 7% rise from the previous year.
Knife-enabled offences accounted for 43% of all homicides in England and Wales where a sharp instrument was used in the year ending March 2023.
From April 2022 to March 2023, there were 244 fatal stabbings in England and Wales, representing 41% of all homicides.
Cleveland Police area saw 1,200 knife offences in 2022/23.
Metropolitan Police recorded 15,016 knife crimes in year ending March 2023.
West Midlands Police had 4,205 knife-enabled offences in 2022/23.
45% of knife crime victims in England are aged 10-29 years old.
Males comprised 83% of victims in knife-enabled homicides in 2022/23.
Black victims were overrepresented at 18% of knife homicide victims despite 4% population.
73% of offenders convicted for knife possession were male.
Average age of knife crime offenders was 26 years in 2022/23.
40% of knife possession offenders were aged 10-17.
In year ending March 2023, 35% of knife homicides resulted in murder charges.
Average sentence for knife possession was 8.5 months in 2022.
75% of knife assault convictions led to custody.

England's knife crime rises sharply, disproportionately affecting young people.

Geographic Distribution

Cleveland Police area saw 1,200 knife offences in 2022/23.
Metropolitan Police recorded 15,016 knife crimes in year ending March 2023.
West Midlands Police had 4,205 knife-enabled offences in 2022/23.
Greater Manchester saw 3,112 knife offences in year ending March 2023.
South Yorkshire Police force area reported 1,456 knife crimes in 2022/23.
Nottinghamshire Police recorded 1,023 knife offences per 100,000 population rate highest in 2023.
London accounted for 30% of all England and Wales knife crimes with 15,000 cases in 2023.
Essex Police had 1,800 knife offences in year ending 2023.
Bedfordshire force area knife crime rate was 165 per 100,000 in 2022/23.
Northumbria Police recorded 1,250 knife crimes, up 20% in 2023.
Merseyside saw 2,100 knife offences in Liverpool area alone in 2022/23.
Thames Valley Police had 1,500 knife crimes across Oxfordshire, Bucks, Berks.
Lancashire Constabulary reported 1,100 knife offences in 2023.
Kent Police force area 1,400 knife crimes, high in Medway.
Leicestershire Police 950 knife offences, up 15%.
Norfolk Constabulary 600 knife crimes in rural areas.
Durham Police 800 knife offences in North East England.
Hertfordshire Police 1,000 knife crimes near London.

Geographic Distribution Interpretation

While London’s streets bear the brutal headline numbers, the unsettling truth is that the blade has carved a deep and growing wound across England, from dense urban centers to unexpectedly afflicted rural towns.

Offender Characteristics

73% of offenders convicted for knife possession were male.
Average age of knife crime offenders was 26 years in 2022/23.
40% of knife possession offenders were aged 10-17.
Black offenders 25% of knife homicide suspects despite 4% population.
65% of convicted knife offenders had prior convictions.
Males under 25 comprised 50% of all knife crime arrests.
White offenders 60% of knife possession convictions.
Gang members involved in 27% of fatal stabbings.
30% of knife offenders were from BAME backgrounds in London.
Repeat offenders committed 70% of knife crimes.
Asian males 10-17 years old 8% of offenders.
80% of knife murder suspects were male.
Offenders aged 18-24 were 35% of possession arrests.
Deprived areas had offenders with 90% unemployment rate.
55% of knife offenders left school without GCSEs.

Offender Characteristics Interpretation

The statistics paint a picture of a crisis with a painfully predictable demographic: a cycle of disenfranchised, often repeat-offender young men, predominantly from deprived backgrounds and struggling with education and employment, are driving England's knife crime epidemic, though its tragic consequences cut across all communities.

Outcomes and Sentencing

In year ending March 2023, 35% of knife homicides resulted in murder charges.
Average sentence for knife possession was 8.5 months in 2022.
75% of knife assault convictions led to custody.
Fatal stabbing conviction rate was 85% in Crown Court.
Minimum sentence for second knife possession offence is 6 months.
20% of knife offenders received community orders only.
Life sentences issued in 60% of knife murder cases.
Hospital survival rate for stab wounds is 95%.
40% of knife possession cases dropped pre-charge.
Average manslaughter sentence for knife use 12 years.
90% of fatal knife attacks led to homicide investigations.
Reoffending rate for knife possession convicts 45% within a year.
50% custody rate for grievous bodily harm with knife.
Serious Violence Reduction Orders used in 1,000 knife cases.
65% of knife robbery convictions got 2+ years prison.

Outcomes and Sentencing Interpretation

The statistics paint a grimly efficient portrait: the system convicts most of the killers it catches, yet seems startlingly lenient on the far more numerous crime of simply carrying the weapon in the first place, creating a perilous gap between the finality of murder and the revolving door of possession.

Overall Incidence and Trends

In the year ending March 2023, police recorded 50,510 knife or sharp instrument offences in England and Wales, a 7% rise from the previous year.
Knife-enabled offences accounted for 43% of all homicides in England and Wales where a sharp instrument was used in the year ending March 2023.
From April 2022 to March 2023, there were 244 fatal stabbings in England and Wales, representing 41% of all homicides.
The knife crime rate per 10,000 people in England and Wales rose to 81.4 in year ending September 2023 from 74.4 the previous year.
Over the decade to year ending March 2023, knife offences increased by 75% from 28,957 in 2012/13.
In year ending December 2023, police recorded 48,961 offences involving knives or sharp instruments in England and Wales.
Robbery with a knife increased by 12% to 20,671 offences in year ending March 2023.
Assaults with injury involving knives rose 4% to 24,876 in year ending March 2023.
From 2013 to 2023, possession of blades offences increased by 95% to 18,594.
In 2022, there were 262 knife-related homicides in England and Wales, up from 244 in 2021.
Knife crime peaked at 51,206 offences in year ending September 2019 pre-pandemic.
Year ending March 2022 saw 47,388 knife offences, a 2% decrease from 2021.
Homicides by sharp instrument averaged 230 per year from 2013/14 to 2022/23.
In England, knife offences rose 10% year-on-year to 2023, excluding Wales data.
90% of knife crime occurs outside London but receives less media attention.
Year ending June 2023 recorded 49,489 knife offences, up 4%.
From 2009 to 2019, knife homicides doubled from 180 to 360 annually.
In 2021/22, 45,000 knife crimes were recorded by police in England.
Serious knife wounds treated in A&E rose 49% from 2013 to 2018.
Year ending March 2021 had 41,135 knife offences during lockdowns.

Overall Incidence and Trends Interpretation

Despite falling media interest outside London, the statistical trend is brutally clear: knife violence is no longer a sporadic tragedy but a systemic epidemic that has been sharpening its impact on British society for over a decade.

Victim Characteristics

45% of knife crime victims in England are aged 10-29 years old.
Males comprised 83% of victims in knife-enabled homicides in 2022/23.
Black victims were overrepresented at 18% of knife homicide victims despite 4% population.
25% of knife assault victims were children under 16 in 2023.
Females made up 17% of knife crime victims in assaults with injury.
Victims aged 16-24 accounted for 30% of all knife offences in 2022/23.
In London, 40% of stabbing victims were Black males aged 15-24.
Elderly victims over 60 were 2% of knife crime cases but higher fatality rate.
60% of hospital admissions for knife assaults were males aged 15-34.
Asian victims 7% of knife homicides, proportional to population.
White victims 70% of knife crime overall in England.
Repeat knife victims numbered 5,000 annually, 10% of total.
Children under 10 were 1% of victims but rising in gang areas.
Female victims in domestic knife incidents 25% higher risk.
35% of knife victims in public transport settings were students.
BAME victims 35% of knife homicides in urban England.
50% of male victims aged 20-29 in robberies with knives.

Victim Characteristics Interpretation

This tapestry of violence reveals a brutal, age-skewed epidemic where young men, particularly in marginalized communities, are both the primary perpetrators and victims, while the data whispers a chilling truth: a knife doesn't discriminate by age, gender, or postcode, but our society’s failures certainly shape who it finds.

Sources & References

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