UK knife crime hits 29,000 attacks in 2025 as violent offences surge
BERLIN—Police recorded an average of 80 knife attacks per day in 2025, according to the new Police Crime Statistics report, which Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) will present on Monday. In total, roughly 29,000 such incidents were documented.
Knives are most frequently used in serious violent crimes. In about four out of ten cases of homicide or manslaughter, offenders wield a bladed weapon.
Nearly half of the recorded cases fall under traditional violent crime, with a similarly large share involving threats. Many of these offenses occur in public spaces. Meanwhile, overall crime figures appear to decline on paper. Police logged 5.5 million criminal offenses—a 5.6% drop compared to the previous year. The primary reason is the partial legalization of cannabis in April 2024, which has significantly reduced the number of drug-related offenses, easing the statistical burden. The clearance rate stands at 57.9%.
Knife Crime Not the Only Rising Threat
While violent crime overall has slightly decreased, the most severe offenses are on the rise. Homicides and manslaughters increased by 6.5%, while rapes and serious sexual assaults climbed by 8.5%. Child sexual abuse continues to escalate as well. The long-term trend paints an even grimmer picture: since 2019, violent crime has surged by over 17%, and serious sexual offenses have risen by more than 50%.
Another striking development involves young offenders. Juvenile crime is declining overall, yet violent crime among children is again increasing. A significant portion of these offenses takes place in public.
The statistics also reveal stark disparities among suspects. Police record 4,788 non-German suspects per 100,000 foreign nationals, compared to 1,813 German suspects per 100,000 residents. The category "German" includes anyone holding German citizenship alongside their original nationality.
Non-Germans thus appear far more frequently as suspects. The gap widens further in violent crime, where authorities register four times as many foreign suspects as German ones. The trend is particularly pronounced among young men.
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