Knife crime figures remain below those recorded pre-Covid

KNIFE crime offences recorded by police forces in England and Wales have increased in recent years, but remain below levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.

- By IAN JONES PA Reporter

Here are the key numbers and trends in the latest knife crime statistics, which were published on Thursday, April 24 by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

How many offences are being recorded?

Some 54,587 offences were recorded by forces in England and Wales in 2024.

This is up 2% from 53,413 offences in 2023, but is below the 55,170 offences in the pre-Covid year ending March 2020.

What are the figures for different types of violent knife crime?

There has been a rise in the number of police-recorded robberies involving a knife or sharp instrument, up from 22,189 in 2023 to 23,305 in 2024, an increase of 5%.

The total is still lower than before the pandemic, with 24,419 recorded in 2019/20.