‘London safer than US and American cities’

London – London’s homicide rate has fallen to its lowest level since 2014, making the capital one of the safest cities in the world.

There were 97 homicides – including murder and manslaughter – in the capital in 2025, down 11 per cent from 109 in 2024, according to data released by the Metropolitan Police.

Despite London’s growing population in the last decade, last year had the lowest homicide rate per capita on record – 1.1 per 100,000, according to the Met.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the drop in crime was due to police efforts to arrest 1,000 more offenders each month and using technology like facial recognition to solve more crimes.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan hailed the figures as evidence that his “public health” approach to combat knife crime is working and said they tell a “different story from what the politicians such as Donald Trump, Reform and the Conservatives would have you believe”.

Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said, “The homicide rate in London is lower than every single US state. It’s lower than all their big cities.

“The murder rate in New York last time I looked was three or four times higher than London per capita.

“The homicide rate in London is lower than it is in Toronto, it’s lower than Paris, it’s lower than Brussels, it’s lower than Berlin.

“This is a safe city. I’m not going to pretend it’s perfect.

“This trend of trying to rubbish London, some of which is driven by politics, we who are proud Londoners, need to fight back about it,” he said.