London Hits Record Low Homicide Rate: Khan Fires Back at Trump

London is ending the year with its lowest homicide rate since 1997, providing Mayor Sadiq Khan with powerful data to challenge the “dystopian” narrative often pushed by critics like U.S. President Donald Trump.

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The Key Numbers

The Metropolitan Police released data for 2025 showing a sharp decline in the city’s most violent crimes:

• 97 Homicides: The first time the count has dropped below 100 in over a decade.
• 1.1 per 100,000: The lowest homicide rate per capita since modern records began nearly 30 years ago.
• Teenage Violence Plummets: Teenage homicides fell to just 8 in 2025, a massive 73% drop from the record highs seen in 2021.

“Data vs. Rhetoric”

Mayor Khan noted that while “one death is always one too many,” the figures disprove claims that London is an “anarchic” or “lawless” city. The Mayor’s office specifically highlighted that London remains significantly safer than many of its global counterparts.

Safety Comparison (Homicides per 100k):

• London: 1.1
• New York: 2.8
• Los Angeles: 5.6
• Chicago: 12.3

The Political Context

The timing of this data is a direct response to President Trump’s frequent social media posts labeling London a “war zone” due to knife crime. Khan argued that these claims were “politically motivated fiction” and credited the London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU)—which treats crime as a public health issue—for the steady decline in fatalities.

“The facts don’t lie. While some choose to use London as a political punching bag to serve their own agendas, our city is proving that a community-led approach to policing and investment in youth works.” — Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London