Crime in London - Statistics & Facts

In recent years the city of London has frequently been in the headlines of the British press due to a noticeable surge in crime, with police recorded crime figures reaching 912,487 offences in 2019/20, compared with 743,728 in 2015/16. Much of this increase has been driven by a surge in violent crime, with the number of violent crime offences in London reaching 242,824 offences in 2021/22. Additionally, there has been a steady rise in the number of knife crimes which reached 15,928 offences in 2019/20. By several measures, violent crime in London has gotten worse in recent years, although there are some signs this trend is reversing. Violent crime declined in 2022/23 when compared with the previous year, while overall crime in 2022/23 was slightly lower than in 2019/20.

Wider pattern of increasing crime

The rise in crime from the mid 2010s onwards was not unique to London. Across England and Wales there was a recent uptick in overall crime following years of decline. This includes homicides, with 720 recorded in 2019/20 compared to 533 just a few years earlier in 2013/14. With a rate of 100.2 crimes per 1,000 people, the crime rate for the Metropolitan Police was actually lower than that of several other police forces in 2022/23. Among major metropolitan areas of England, London's crime rate was lower than most other large urbanized areas. Once it is put in perspective, it is clear that London’s recent surge in violent crime did not occur in isolation from the rest of England.

Why did crime rise, and is the trend reversing?

One of the main factors both the police and the press attribute the increasing crime figures to is the decline in the number of police officers across England and Wales in the 2010s. London was no different in this regard, the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police had fewer officers between 2011 and 2019 than they had in 2010. At the same time, the police in general were expected to operate with far less money than they had previously. Between 2013/14 and 2018/19 the budget for the Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime in London (MOPAC) was noticeably lower than it was in 2012/13. From 2019/20 onwards, this budget has increased year-on-year, reaching 4.53 billion pounds for 2023/24, while a police recruitment drive has increased the number of officers. Controversial prevention methods such as stop and search have also increased in recent years, despite the perception that people are targeted unfairly based on their ethnic appearance.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by D. Clark, Jul 21, 2023

Key insights

Crime offences in London 2021/22
887,870
Violent crime offences in London 2022/23
242,084
Number of homicides in London 2022/23
112
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Crime rate per 1,000 population in London from 2015/16 to 2022/23

Crime & Law Enforcement

Crime rate in London 2015-2023

Number of police recorded knife or sharp instrument offences in London from 2015/16 to 2022/23

Violent Crime

Number of knife crime offences in London 2015-2023

Outturn and amount budgeted for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) in London from 2012/13 to 2023/24 (in billion GBP)

Government Finances

London Police budget of MOPAC 2012-2023

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