Number of homicide offences in the UK 2023, by region

In 2022/23 there were 112 homicide offences recorded in London, the most of any region of the United Kingdom during that time period. North West England, which includes the large city of Manchester had 79 homicides, and had the second highest number of homicides. In the same reporting period the constituent countries of Northern Ireland and Wales reported the fewest homicides, at 24 and 29 respectively.

Homicides in the UK falling despite recent uptick

Since 2002/03, all three jurisdictions of the UK; England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, have seen their homicide rates fall, with Scotland seeing the steepest decline. The most significant decline in homicides in this period occurred between 2002/03 and 2014/15, which saw the annual number of homicides in England and Wales half from over 1,000 to 500. This trend was suddenly reversed from 2015/16 onwards, with homicides rising to around 700 per year between 2016/17 and 2019/20. While homicides fell back to 602 in 2022/23, it remains to be seen if this pattern will continue.

 Knives used in almost half of all murders

In 2021/22 a knife or other sharp instrument was used in over 40 percent of all murders in England and Wales, making this, by far, the most common method of killing in that reporting year. The overall number of knife homicides reached 282 in 2021/22, compared with 236 in the previous year, and just above the 281 reported in 2017/18. Firearm homicides were much rarer than knife homicides, with 28 taking place in 2021/22, and homicides caused by shooting only accounting for four percent of homicides overall.