Fewer children hospitalised by knife attacks: what the new data shows

You don’t need to look far to see the devastating impact knife crime has on children, families and communities. One of the government’s key missions is to halve knife crime by 2034. This is clearly an urgent priority, but there’s a long way to go in making it reality. At the Youth Endowment Fund, we work upstream, to prevent children becoming involved in violence.  

Why hospital admissions data matters 

There are several ways to measure how the government is performing against their mission. For instance, we can look at the amount of knife crime recorded by the police. Or we can look at data published on the number of victims. Today, NHS Digital published their latest figures on how many people in England have been hospitalised due to knife assault in 2024/25. This new data allows us to see how many children have been affected.  

Good news – fewer children were victims of knife crime in the latest year. 

NHS Hospital admissions figures provide estimates of how many people have been admitted to hospital in England due to assault with a knife or sharp object over the previous year. Today’s new data is broken down by age, meaning we can look specifically at the trend for children. 

Trends show that admissions for knife assault peaked in 2018/19 yet had been falling until 2023/24. In 2023/24, there was a 2% increase in the total number of hospital admissions from knife assault, and a particularly large increase for 0-17-year-olds – 9% year-on-year. 

The latest data for 2024/25 shows knife admissions have fallen again, and particularly amongst children.  

• 409 children aged 0-17 were hospitalised for knife assault between April 2024 and March 2025, down from 509 the year before – a 20% decrease.  
• Hospitalisations for other ages also fell, though by smaller amounts – 13% for 18-24-year-olds, 8% for adults aged 25. 
• Overall, hospitalisations due to knife assault fell 9%.  

These figures align with other indicators that point to a fall in knife crime. 

With the exception of last year, hospital admissions for knife assault appear to be on a downwards trajectory. And other knife crime indicators show a similar trend. Also in 2024/25, the total number of homicides caused by knives fell by 23%. And for the first time in four years, the number of violent knife-related crimes recorded by the police also fell.  

But far too many children continue to be affected. 

Every child who becomes a victim of knife crime is one too many. As is every child who feels they need to carry a weapon to protect themselves. And we know that whilst hundreds of children are injured by knives each year, many more have their daily lives affected by fears of violence. 

What works to prevent knife crime? 

Falling hospital admissions and fewer knife-related homicides are positive signs – but we can’t be complacent. Hundreds of children are still being injured, and too many feel unsafe. To achieve the government’s goal of halving knife crime by 2034, action must be rooted in evidence of what works. 

At the Youth Endowment Fund, we’re building and sharing that evidence – through our violence prevention Toolkit, guidance reports, and research on how best to support children from becoming involved in violence. That’s why our priority is to test and share the evidence, so every decision made to tackle knife crime is based on what works.