Core indicator
Knife crime
Hospital admissions for knife assault (0-17-year-olds)
Last updated March 2025
(March 2025)
Last reviewed: February 2026
How are we measuring knife crime?
We’re using the number of 0–17-year-olds admitted to hospital per year in England, where the cause for admission was assault with a sharp object, as our core knife crime indicator. Hospital admissions data is seen as a more reliable guide to trends in knife violence than police or justice figures, as the data is less susceptible to changes in recording, reporting or sentencing practices. These figures are for England only, as equivalent data is not available for Wales.
What does our core indicator show?
Overall, this measure shows a mixed picture. Knife-related hospital admissions rose significantly from the mid-2010s, but had been falling again since before the pandemic, until last year. In 2023/24, the number of 0-17-year-olds admitted to hospital for knife assault rose 9%. But in the latest year (2024/25), it’s fallen again – down 20% to 409 admissions. This is the lowest it’s been since 2015/16, though it remains 33% up from where it was ten years ago (2014/15).