New data shows London's homicide rate is considerably lower than cities including New York, Berlin, Toronto and Philadephia
Sadiq Khan has voiced his frustration over people talking London down as new figures show a record low in homicides.
Data published today reveals the total number of killings dropped to a 14 year low – and reached the lowest level by population since records began. The London Mayor said: “Many people have been trying to talk London down, but the evidence tells a very different story.
“Last year London had the lowest murder rate per capita since records began, the fewest murders of those aged under 25 this century, and one of the lowest number of homicides for almost three decades.”
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He said use of technology like facial recognition and targeted crackdowns on gangs means the Met Police is making an additional 1,000 arrests a month. Latest data shows there were 97 homicides in 2025 – an 11% year-on-year drop and the lowest total since 2014, despite London's population rising by over 500,000 since then.
It means the capital's homicide rate is 1.1 per 100,000 people – compared to 2.8 in New York, 3.2 in Berlin, 11.7 in Chicago, 12.3 in Philadephia and 1.6 in Toronto. Mr Khan said: “The results speak for themselves: fewer lives lost, fewer families shattered. Every murder is a tragedy, but we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to drive down serious violence.
“This work will not stop, and neither will our determination to keep Londoners safe.” The data shows Met Police detectives achieved a 95% solve rate last year.
Lib Peck, director of London's violence reduction unit (VRU) said: “A lot has been painted about safety in London, but the fact is homicide levels are at record lows and violence continues to fall.
“There is clearly more to do to close the gap and challenge online narratives so that people also feel safe, but the data last year shows we are making consistent progress.”
It comes days after Reform mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham was accused of talking the capital down. She told a press conference last week: “London, one of the greatest cities on Earth, is no longer safe, and that doesn’t happen by accident.”
She added: “When I was growing up, London was the place to live, the place to work, the place to build a life. People envied us that live here. Now, they pity us. They say: ‘London’s a bit too dangerous for me.’”
The VRU carried out more than 550,000 targeted interventions to prevent young people being drawn into gangs and violence last year.
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Mr Khan said: “It's clear that our sustained focus on being both tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime is working.”