Firearm Crime Statistics: England & Wales
This briefing looks at statistics on gun crime in England and Wales. It uses police recorded crime data to evaluate trends over time and to compare crime between police force areas, with a section focusing specifically on gun crime in London. Type of offence and type of weapon used are also analysed, as well as the age and ethnicity of victims.
Statistics on the number of police-recorded firearm offences are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the Crime in England and Wales bulletin. Gun-related crime statistics are published by the ONS in the Offences involving the use of weapons: data tables.
Recorded non-air firearm offencesIn the year ending 31 March 2025, there were a total of 5,103 non-air firearm offences recorded by the police in England & Wales. This was a decrease of 21%, compared with the 6,449 offences recorded during the year ending 31 March 2024.
Firearms include:
- conventional guns, like shotguns, handguns and rifles
- imitation weapons such as BB guns or soft air weapons
- other weapons, such as CS gas or pepper spray and stun guns
- unidentified weapons
The figures exclude conventional air weapons such as air rifles.
Offences involving firearms do not always require that they are fired; for example, they may involve possession, sale, or threats.
HomicideThe most recent data suggests that there were 32 homicides committed by shooting in the year ending 31 March 2025 – 6% of all homicides. Of these 32 victims, 28% were female and 72% were male.
Types of offencesIn the year ending 31 March 2025, ‘violence against the person’ (VATP) offences accounted for 36% of all air and non-air firearms offences, and ‘criminal damage’ accounted for 21%. ‘possession of weapons’ made up 19% of offences and ‘robbery’ 9%.
Type of non-air firearm usedFrom 2010/11 to 2020/21, handguns were the most commonly used non-air firearm for offending, with such offences accounting for 37% of non-air firearm offences in 2020/21.
From 2021/22 imitation firearms became the most used non-air firearm for offending, accounting for 37% of non-air firearm offences in 2024/25 (compared to 33% for handguns).
Non-air firearm offences by Police Force AreaIn 2024/25, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recorded the largest number of non-air firearm offences. These accounted for 22% of all non-air firearm offences in England and Wales.
However, Bedfordshire Police had the highest rate of non-air firearm offences at 18.0 per 100,000 population, followed by West Midlands Police at 15.3. The lowest rate was recorded in Suffolk (1.3 offences per 100,000).