Homicide in London

What does record low figure mean?

- Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent

New homicide figures for London in 2025 are drawing attention for being the lowest in over a decade.

Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, say the figures show their policies are working - best summed up as tough on crime, tough on the complex causes of crime. Has the Met turned a corner and can Khan shake off claims he presides over a city where crime is out of control?

How noteworthy are the homicide figures in London?

Accurate homicide data held by the Met goes back to 1997, and the homicide total for London in 2025 at 97 deaths is the second lowest on record. The lowest was in 2014 when 95 homicides were recorded. But the claim that last year's figure is a record relies on the fact that in 2025 London's population was estimated at half a million higher, at 9.09 million, giving a homicide rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents versus 1.11 in 2014.