Crime · United Kingdom, United States · Updated 2026-10-26

Does London have more murders than New York?

No: in 2025 the Metropolitan Police recorded 97 homicide victims in London (1.07 per 100,000 people) and the NYPD recorded 309 murders in New York City (3.6 per 100,000), a rate 3.4 times London's, and New York's police rate was higher in every year from 2010 to 2025 even though London's homicide count uses the broader definition.

Every figure in this summary is calculated from the sources listed on this page.

Homicide rate in London, 2025

Victims of homicide (murder, manslaughter, infanticide and corporate manslaughter) recorded by the police, per 100,000 residents. Greater London: the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police areas, Latest full year: calendar year 2025 (April 2024 to March 2025 for the Homicide Index). Unit: per 100,000 people.

1.07per 100,000 people, 2025

63Trust scoreModerate certainty

Only one source – not confirmed by others. Agreement can't be measured, so the score can't reach High.

Quality32 / 40: How well the sources are made
Agreement15 / 30: Unknown with one source, so set to half
Independence6 / 20: How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10: How recent the newest data is

How much each source counts

Met Police100%

Shown but not counted: Homicide Index (republishes Metropolitan Police, homicide dashboard data: homicide victims (London Datastore)).

Sources

Source	Value	Definition	Quality	Weight
Metropolitan Police, homicide dashboard data: homicide victims (London Datastore)Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26	1.072025	Victims of homicide (murder, manslaughter, infanticide and corporate manslaughter) recorded by the Metropolitan Police, counted by the month the offence was recorded: 97 in 2025 (93 murder, 4 manslaughter). The Met polices all of Greater London except the City of London, so the count is divided by the ONS mid-2025 population of Greater London minus the City of London (9,107,278). Dataset page: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/mps-homicide-dashboard-data-2l1w8. File "Homicide Victims 2003 - Dec 25", updated quarterly. Population: ONS mid-year estimates via Nomis (dataset NM_2002_1), https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/api/v01/dataset/NM_2002_1.data.csv?geography=2013265927,2013265927TYPE424&date=2010-2025&gender=0&c_age=200&measures=20100.	4 of 5 checks Yes: Method and definitions published. The Met publishes the offence definitions and jurisdiction caveats with the data. No: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. Police management information, not official statistics; the official series is the Home Office Homicide Index, published by ONS. Yes: Full count or representative sample. Every homicide victim recorded by the Met, not a sample. Yes: Raw data downloadable. One row per victim downloadable as CSV from the London Datastore. Yes: No known break or quality problem. No break or quality warning known for 2010-2025; the London Datastore notes only that the files may be disrupted by an IT change.	100%
ONS, Homicide in England and Wales, appendix Table 24 (Home Office Homicide Index)Office for National Statistics (ONS), from the Home Office Homicide Index · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26	1.182025	Offences currently recorded as homicide (one per victim) in the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police areas, April 2024 to March 2025: 108 (108 Met, 0 City of London), as at 5 December 2025. Divided by the ONS mid-2024 population of Greater London (9,149,646). Each financial year is plotted at the year it ends. The Homicide Index is compiled by the Home Office from returns by the same police forces, so it is shown as a copy of the Met line and does not count as a separate source.	5 of 5 checks Yes: Method and definitions published. ONS publishes notes on counting rules: one offence per victim, revised as cases progress. Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. Official statistics published by ONS. Yes: Full count or representative sample. All offences recorded as homicide by the two London police forces. Yes: Raw data downloadable. Counts by police force area downloadable as an Excel table; the record-level index is not public. Yes: No known break or quality problem. No break in years ending March 2015-2025; figures are revised as cases go through the courts.	Not counted

Homicide rate in London, 2025, by source · per 100,000 people

Metropolitan Police, homicide dashboard data: homicide victims (London Datastore)
ONS, Homicide in England and Wales, appendix Table 24 (Home Office Homicide Index)

Show the data as a table

Year	Metropolitan Police, homicide dashboard data: homicide victims (London Datastore)	ONS, Homicide in England and Wales, appendix Table 24 (Home Office Homicide Index)
2010	1.56	–
2011	1.44	–
2012	1.28	–
2013	1.29	–
2014	1.11	–
2015	1.39	1.18
2016	1.34	1.27
2017	1.65	1.26
2018	1.58	1.83
2019	1.72	1.4
2020	1.51	1.64
2021	1.52	1.41
2022	1.25	1.48
2023	1.2	1.38
2024	1.22	1.22
2025	1.07	1.18

Murder rate in New York City, 2025

Victims of murder and non-negligent manslaughter recorded by the police, per 100,000 residents. New York City: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island, Latest full year: calendar year 2025 (2023 for death records). Unit: per 100,000 people.

3.6per 100,000 people, 2025

74Trust scoreModerate certainty

Quality38.3 / 40: How well the sources are made
Agreement9.8 / 30: How close the sources are to each other
Independence16 / 20: How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10: How recent the newest data is

How much each source counts

NYPD78%
Death records22%

Shown but not counted: FBI CDE (republishes NYPD, historical crime data: seven major felony offenses, 2000-2025).

Sources

Source	Value	Definition	Quality	Weight
NYPD, historical crime data: seven major felony offenses, 2000-2025New York City Police Department (NYPD) · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26	3.62025	Murder and non-negligent manslaughter recorded by the NYPD in the five boroughs: 309 in 2025. Each year is counted as of mid-January of the next year; deaths ruled murders later are counted in the year of the ruling. Divided by the US Census Bureau July 1 population of the five New York City counties: intercensal estimates for 2010-2019 and Vintage 2025 estimates for 2020-2025 (8,584,629 in 2025). Data page: https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/crime-statistics/historical.page. Population: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2010-2020/intercensal/county/asrh/cc-est2020int-agesex-36.csv and https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/counties/totals/co-est2025-alldata.csv.	5 of 5 checks Yes: Method and definitions published. The NYPD data page explains classification and scoring (as in the FBI UCR); the file notes give sources and cut-off dates. Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. The NYPD's official citywide crime statistics. Yes: Full count or representative sample. Every murder recorded by the NYPD in the five boroughs, not a sample. Yes: Raw data downloadable. Yearly citywide counts downloadable as an Excel file. Yes: No known break or quality problem. One source (the Shooting & Homicide Database) since 2006; each year is frozen in January and not revised.	78%
FBI Crime Data Explorer: New York City Police Department, homicide offensesFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26	3.342025	Murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses the NYPD reported to the FBI, summed over the months of each year: 287 in 2025. Divided by the US Census Bureau July 1 population of the five New York City counties: intercensal estimates for 2010-2019 and Vintage 2025 estimates for 2020-2025 (8,584,629 in 2025). NYPD agency ORI NY0303000; Crime Data Explorer data last refreshed 10/15/2026. The figures are submitted by the NYPD, so this line is a copy of the NYPD line. Population: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2010-2020/intercensal/county/asrh/cc-est2020int-agesex-36.csv and https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/counties/totals/co-est2025-alldata.csv.	4 of 5 checks Yes: Method and definitions published. The FBI publishes UCR and NIBRS offense definitions and methods. Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. Official national crime statistics from the FBI. Yes: Full count or representative sample. All offenses the NYPD submitted for the city. Yes: Raw data downloadable. Monthly agency counts downloadable from the Crime Data Explorer. No: No known break or quality problem. No NYPD data for 2021; recent years differ from the NYPD's own table (287 against 309 in 2025).	Not counted
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Summary of Vital Statistics: deaths by assault (homicide)New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Bureau of Vital Statistics · Death and health registersRetrieved 2026-10-26	4.812023	Deaths in New York City whose underlying cause on the death certificate is assault (ICD-10 X85-Y09, Y87.1), by date of death, including non-residents and excluding legal intervention: 406 in 2023, the latest year published. Divided by the US Census Bureau July 1 population of the five New York City counties: intercensal estimates for 2010-2019 and Vintage 2025 estimates for 2020-2025 (8,584,629 in 2025). Summary of Vital Statistics 2023, Table M13 'Deaths and Crude Death Rates per 100,000 Population for Selected Causes, New York City, 1901-2023', row 'Assault (Homicide) (X85-Y09, Y87.1)', single-year columns 2011-2023, PDF pages 98-99. Each value matches row 'Assault (Homicide)' of Table M1 in that year's own Summary. 2010: Summary of Vital Statistics 2010, Table M1 (continued), row 'Assault (Homicide) (U01-U02, X85-Y09, Y87.1)', column Total, PDF page 21. Table M13 of later Summaries shows 2006-2010 only as an average. Values recorded in scripts/london-vs-new-york-murder.manual.json. Homicide in death records is any death caused by another person regardless of intent (self-defence included), a different definition from murder, so the line counts half. Population: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2010-2020/intercensal/county/asrh/cc-est2020int-agesex-36.csv and https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/counties/totals/co-est2025-alldata.csv.	4 of 5 checks Yes: Method and definitions published. Technical notes define homicide by ICD-10 codes and explain how it differs from NYPD counts. Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. Official vital statistics from the city's Bureau of Vital Statistics. Yes: Full count or representative sample. Every death certificate for a death in New York City; all homicides are medical examiner cases. No: Raw data downloadable. Published only as PDF tables; record-level death data are confidential. Yes: No known break or quality problem. No break in 2010-2023; deaths ruled homicides after the yearly file closes are not added back.	22%

Murder rate in New York City, 2025, by source · per 100,000 people

NYPD, historical crime data: seven major felony offenses, 2000-2025
FBI Crime Data Explorer: New York City Police Department, homicide offenses
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Summary of Vital Statistics: deaths by assault (homicide)

Show the data as a table

Year	NYPD, historical crime data: seven major felony offenses, 2000-2025	FBI Crime Data Explorer: New York City Police Department, homicide offenses	NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Summary of Vital Statistics: deaths by assault (homicide)
2010	6.53	6.53	6.72
2011	6.18	6.18	6.33
2012	4.95	4.95	5.2
2013	3.91	3.91	4
2014	3.85	3.85	4.08
2015	4.03	4.03	4.34
2016	3.81	3.81	4.12
2017	3.31	3.31	3.38
2018	3.34	3.34	3.52
2019	3.61	3.61	3.64
2020	5.35	5.35	5.55
2021	5.78	–	6.06
2022	5.24	5.24	5.43
2023	4.64	4.8	4.81
2024	4.44	4.28	–
2025	3.6	3.34	–

Why the numbers differ

London's sources count homicide, which in English law covers murder, manslaughter, infanticide and corporate manslaughter. The NYPD and FBI count murder and non-negligent manslaughter, which leaves out deaths caused by negligence and justifiable killings. London's definition is the broader one.
The year bases differ: the Met counts victims by the month the homicide was recorded and the Homicide Index by financial year (April to March, as at 5 December 2025); the NYPD freezes each calendar year in mid-January and counts later rulings in the year they are made; New York's death records count by date of death.
Boundaries: Greater London had 9,122,909 residents in mid-2025. The Met covers all of it except the City of London (15,631 residents), whose own police recorded 0 homicides in April 2024 to March 2025; killings handled by British Transport Police are in neither London figure. Populations from ONS mid-year estimates; homicides from the Homicide Index. (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)
New York City is its five boroughs, with 8,584,629 residents on 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau Vintage 2025 county estimates). The NYPD counts murders committed in the city; the death records count deaths in the city, including 35 non-residents among the 406 homicide deaths of 2023 (the NYPD counted 391 murders that year). (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)
Two copies of the same police records still differ: for April 2024 to March 2025 the Met's file and the Homicide Index both give 108 for the Met's area, but for the year ending March 2018 the Met's file has 170 and the index 159. The FBI shows 287 NYPD murders for 2025 against 309 in the NYPD's own table, and none for 2021. Calculated from the files in the sources table. (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)

Common mistakes

Headlines in April 2018 said London had overtaken New York in murders. Full Fact showed the comparison covered only February and March 2018, when the Met counted 15 and 22 homicides against the NYPD's 14 and 21; over January to March New York still had more (57 against 45). For the whole of 2018 the sources on this page give 139 homicide victims in London and 295 murders in New York. (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)

Context

Considered, not used

ONS deaths by assault for London local authorities (Nomis): ONS's mortality dataset on Nomis (NM_161_1) gives deaths by cause only for England, Wales and England and Wales, and ONS publishes no regular table of assault deaths for London, so London has no death-register line. (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)
CDC WONDER assault deaths for the five New York City counties: County queries need the user to accept CDC's data use restrictions in an interactive form, which was not done for this page, and the WONDER API serves national data only. The city's own death records, which it supplies to the national system, are used instead. (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)
NYC Open Data, New York City Leading Causes of Death: It lists only the leading causes for each sex and ethnic group, so it has no citywide homicide total.
Homicide Index figures for London before April 2014: Table 24 of the current ONS edition starts with the year ending March 2015. Older editions use earlier extracts of the index that have since been revised, so they are not mixed in. (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)
City of London Police homicides by calendar year: Not in the Met file and not published by calendar year; the Homicide Index shows 0 in the year ending March 2024 and 0 in the year ending March 2025. (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)
New York State Department of Health vital statistics tables for New York City: They are compiled from the city's own death records, so they would not be an independent line.

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Cite as: RealStats, “Does London have more murders than New York?”, updated 2026-10-26, with the original sources listed on the page.

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Does London have more murders than New York?

Homicide rate in London, 2025

Score breakdown

How much each source counts

Sources

Murder rate in New York City, 2025

Score breakdown

How much each source counts

Sources

Why the numbers differ

Common mistakes