Gun Crime Statistics in UK 2025 | Key Facts

Gun Crime in United Kingdom 2025

The landscape of gun crime in the UK 2025 continues to show encouraging trends, with firearms-related offences reaching their lowest levels in a decade. Despite this positive trajectory, understanding the full picture of firearm offences remains essential for policymakers, law enforcement, and the general public. The United Kingdom maintains some of the strictest firearms legislation globally, which has contributed significantly to keeping gun-related criminal activity at relatively low levels compared to other developed nations.

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics and the Home Office reveals that gun crime statistics in the UK for 2025 demonstrate a substantial decline in recorded offences. This reduction spans multiple categories, from imitation firearms to lethal-barrelled weapons, reflecting both effective policing strategies and robust regulatory frameworks. The year ending March 2025 marked a particularly significant milestone, with total firearm offences dropping to levels not seen since 2015, underscoring the effectiveness of multi-agency approaches to combating illegal firearms activity across England and Wales.

Interesting Stats & Facts about Gun Crime in UK 2025

Data Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Crime in England and Wales: Year Ending March 2025; Home Office – Police Use of Firearms Statistics April 2024 to March 2025; National Crime Agency – National Strategic Assessment 2025

The most striking revelation from the 2025 gun crime statistics is that firearm offences have reached their lowest point in ten years. The 21% decrease represents one of the most significant year-on-year reductions in recent history, with imitation firearms showing the steepest decline at 30%. This dramatic fall suggests that targeted enforcement actions, including the February 2025 firearms amnesty focusing on convertible blank-firing weapons, have yielded substantial results. Meanwhile, handguns remain the most commonly used type of actual firearm in criminal activity, though even these have seen reductions compared to previous years.

Another critical insight concerns firearm fatalities in the UK during 2025, which continue to remain remarkably low by international standards. With just 24 deaths recorded in the 2023-2024 reporting period, the United Kingdom maintains one of the lowest rates of gun-related homicides among developed nations. The ten-year average of 28 fatalities annually demonstrates consistency in outcomes, reflecting the effectiveness of stringent firearms controls and proactive policing. Importantly, the number of discharge incidents involving lethal-barrelled firearms dropped to 692 offences, a 15% decrease from the previous year, indicating that criminals are increasingly deterred from actually firing weapons during criminal activity.

Total Firearm Offences in the UK 2025

Data Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Crime in England and Wales Bulletin; Offences Involving the Use of Weapons: Data Tables

The trajectory of total firearm offences in the UK during 2025 tells a compelling story of sustained progress in reducing gun-related criminal activity. The year ending March 2025 witnessed the recording of just 5,103 firearms offences across England and Wales, marking the lowest figure since the year ending March 2015 when 4,911 offences were documented. This represents a remarkable 21% reduction from the previous year’s figure of 6,449 offences, significantly outpacing the gradual declines observed in earlier years. The sharp drop breaks from the relatively modest annual reductions seen between 2018 and 2024, where decreases typically ranged between 1% and 9%.

When examining the offence rate per 100,000 population, the 2025 figure of 8.4 offences demonstrates substantial improvement from the 10.7 rate recorded in 2024. This metric provides a more accurate reflection of risk to the general public, accounting for population growth over time. The decline is particularly noteworthy given that the peak in firearm offences occurred in 2006, when 11,088 offences were recorded. Current levels represent less than half of that historical high, underscoring the long-term effectiveness of firearms control measures and multi-agency enforcement strategies. The consistent downward pressure on firearms offences, despite occasional year-on-year fluctuations, reflects both the maturation of intelligence-led policing approaches and the impact of legislative changes that have progressively tightened restrictions on weapons that can be easily converted for criminal use.

Firearm Offences by Weapon Type in the UK 2025

Data Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Crime in England and Wales: Year Ending March 2025; Home Office Police Recorded Crime Data

The breakdown of firearm offences by weapon type in 2025 reveals significant insights into the nature of gun crime across the United Kingdom. Imitation firearms continue to dominate the statistics, accounting for 37% of all firearm offences with 1,907 recorded incidents. These weapons, which include replica firearms, BB guns, and converted blank-firing pistols, are favoured by criminals due to their relative accessibility and lower cost compared to genuine firearms. The 30% reduction in imitation firearm offences from 2024 represents the largest decrease among all weapon categories, likely attributable to the February 2025 firearms amnesty that specifically targeted convertible blank-firing weapons from four Turkish manufacturers. This initiative enabled members of the public to surrender these devices safely, removing potentially thousands of weapons from circulation before they could be illegally modified.

Handguns remain the second most common firearm type used in criminal activity, featuring in 1,665 offences and representing 33% of the total. Despite a 17% reduction from the previous year, handguns continue to be the weapon of choice for serious criminal enterprises due to their concealability and perceived status value within criminal networks. Shotguns and rifles, which require legitimate certificates for legal ownership, account for significantly smaller proportions at 7% and 1% respectively, with 346 and 76 offences recorded. The low involvement of legally-held firearms categories in criminal activity validates the effectiveness of the licensing system administered by police forces. The unidentified firearms category, representing 18% of offences with 909 incidents, reflects cases where weapons were not recovered or where victim and witness descriptions proved insufficient for definitive categorization, highlighting ongoing challenges in firearms intelligence gathering and the prevalence of threats involving weapons that may or may not be genuine.

Gun-Related Homicides and Fatalities in the UK 2025

Data Source: National Crime Agency (NCA) – National Strategic Assessment 2025; Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Crime in England and Wales: Year Ending March 2025

The data on gun-related homicides and fatalities in the UK for 2025 demonstrates the continued effectiveness of strict firearms controls in preventing lethal violence. The recording of 24 firearm fatalities during the 2023-2024 period represents a decline from 27 deaths in the previous year and sits comfortably within the remarkably consistent ten-year average of 28 deaths annually. This stability, despite fluctuations in other crime categories, reflects the sustained impact of decades-long commitment to reducing firearms availability and the professional response capabilities of law enforcement. When contextualized within the broader homicide landscape, where 535 total homicides were recorded in the year ending March 2025, firearms accounted for just 4.5% of all killings, significantly lower than knife-related homicides which comprised 40% of the total.

The 692 firearm discharge offences recorded in 2024 represent a 15% decrease from the 814 offences documented in the previous year, continuing a multi-year trend of suppressed discharge incidents. These figures encompass situations where firearms were actually fired during criminal activity, distinguishing them from the broader category of firearm offences which includes possession, threats, and non-discharge uses. The consistent reduction in discharge incidents suggests that criminals increasingly view firearms as tools for intimidation rather than weapons to be actively deployed, possibly reflecting heightened consequences for firearm discharge offences and improved intelligence-led policing that disrupts firearms supply chains before weapons reach operational use. The homicide rate of 8.8 per million population in 2025, down from 9.4 the previous year, places the United Kingdom among the safest developed nations globally, with firearms contributing minimally to this already-low rate of lethal violence.

Police Firearms Operations and Armed Response in the UK 2025

Data Source: Home Office – Police Use of Firearms Statistics: April 2024 to March 2025

The statistics on police firearms operations in the UK during 2025 reflect the balanced approach law enforcement takes toward armed response capabilities. Despite the overall reduction in firearm offences, police firearms operations actually increased by 3% to reach 18,392 operations in the year ending March 2025, up from 17,928 the previous year. This apparent contradiction highlights that operational deployment decisions are driven by intelligence assessments and threat levels rather than simply reactive responses to recorded crime. The continued high proportion of operations where Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs) served as the first or only response, maintained at 93%, demonstrates the efficiency and readiness of rapid-deployment tactical units that can respond to potential firearms threats within minutes.

Perhaps most significantly, police discharges at persons remain extraordinarily rare, with only 4 incidents recorded across all of England and Wales during the year ending March 2025. While this represents an increase of 2 incidents from the previous year’s exceptionally low figure of 2, the discharge rate remains at just 0.02% of all firearms operations. This exceptional restraint underscores the rigorous training, strict protocols, and emphasis on de-escalation that characterize British armed policing. The 6,367 armed officers on duty as of March 2025, of whom 5,753 were operationally deployable, represent a 2% reduction from the previous year. This slight decrease in armed officer numbers, occurring against a backdrop of increasing firearms operations, may reflect recruitment challenges or strategic redeployment of resources. The 90% deployability rate remains robust, though the 1 percentage point decline from the previous year’s 91% warrants monitoring to ensure that officer availability through reduced sickness and restricted duties is maintained to meet operational demands across all force areas.

Regional Distribution of Gun Crime in the UK 2025

Data Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Offences Involving the Use of Weapons: Data Tables; Home Office Police Recorded Crime Data

The regional distribution of gun crime across the UK in 2025 reveals stark geographical disparities in firearms offence rates. Urban metropolitan areas continue to experience significantly elevated levels of gun crime compared to rural and suburban regions. West Yorkshire and Cleveland jointly record the highest rates at 26 offences per 100,000 population, demonstrating that firearms-related criminal activity concentrates heavily in specific urban centers with established serious organized crime networks. The West Midlands follows closely with a rate of 24 per 100,000, while Greater Manchester and the Metropolitan Police area covering London record rates of 22 and 21 per 100,000 respectively. These five force areas collectively account for a disproportionate share of all firearms offences nationally, reflecting the concentration of drug markets, gang activity, and serious acquisitive crime in major urban centers.

Conversely, predominantly rural areas demonstrate dramatically lower firearms offence rates. Suffolk recorded the lowest absolute number of firearms offences with just 11 incidents across the entire year, translating to approximately 1.5 offences per 100,000 population. Cumbria, North Yorkshire, and other rural counties similarly maintain single-digit or low double-digit rates per 100,000 population. This geographical pattern holds particular significance given that these rural areas typically have much higher rates of legal firearms ownership, primarily for agricultural purposes, pest control, and sporting activities. The inverse relationship between legal firearms certificates and criminal firearms misuse validates the effectiveness of the licensing regime and demonstrates that lawful gun ownership does not drive criminal firearms activity. The concentration of gun crime in urban areas instead reflects the dynamics of organized criminal enterprises, drug distribution networks, and the availability of illegally imported or converted weapons that bypass regulatory controls entirely.

Firearm Certificates and Legal Ownership in the UK 2025

Data Source: Home Office – Firearm and Shotgun Certificates: April 2024 to March 2025

The landscape of legal firearms ownership in the UK during 2025 shows a slight contraction in the number of individuals holding certificates, continuing a gradual trend observed over recent years. As of March 2025, 510,717 people held either a firearm certificate, shotgun certificate, or both, representing a 1.1% decrease from the 516,500 certificate holders recorded the previous year. This marks the lowest number of certificate holders since comparable records began in March 2016, though the decline remains modest and does not suggest any dramatic shift in legitimate firearms ownership patterns. The total number of firearm certificates stood at 147,445, down 0.9% from 148,791 in 2024, while shotgun certificates numbered 496,911, reflecting a 0.7% reduction from 500,378.

Despite fewer certificate holders, the average number of weapons held per certificate has remained stable, with each firearm certificate covering an average of 4.2 firearms and each shotgun certificate covering 2.7 shotguns. These stable averages, both at their highest levels since records began in 2009, indicate that existing certificate holders are not reducing their collections, and that the overall decline in certificate numbers stems from fewer new applicants entering the system or existing holders not renewing expired certificates. The 624,245 firearms covered by certificates as of March 2025 predominantly comprise 57% rifles and 33% sound moderators, typical of weapons used for target shooting, pest control, and agricultural purposes. Meanwhile, the 1,345,973 shotguns on certificate overwhelmingly consist of Section 2 shotguns (those with no magazine or magazines holding no more than two cartridges), which account for over 99% of all certificated shotguns. The concentration of legal ownership in rural areas such as North Yorkshire (the highest rate nationally at 3,029 firearms per 100,000 population) and Dyfed-Powys in Wales (2,977 per 100,000) correlates with agricultural and sporting use rather than any association with elevated crime levels.

Prosecution and Outcomes for Gun Crime in the UK 2025

Data Source: Home Office – Crime Outcomes in England and Wales 2024 to 2025

The prosecution outcomes for gun crime cases in the UK during 2025 reveal both strengths and challenges in the criminal justice response to firearms offences. Approximately 12% of offences involving firearms resulted in a charged or summonsed outcome, translating to roughly 612 cases out of the 5,103 total offences recorded. This charge rate is notably higher than the 7.3% rate for offences not involving firearms, reflecting both the seriousness with which law enforcement treats gun crime and the resource prioritization that firearms cases receive during investigation. The elevated charge rate for firearms offences demonstrates that despite challenges in securing evidence, investigators and prosecutors successfully bring a greater proportion of gun crime cases to court compared to many other offence categories.

However, significant barriers to prosecution remain evident in the outcomes data. The largest single category of outcomes involves cases closed due to evidential difficulties where no suspect was identified, accounting for 42.3% of all firearms offences or approximately 2,159 cases. This substantial proportion reflects the inherent challenges of firearms investigations, where weapons are often not recovered, witnesses may be reluctant to cooperate due to fear of retaliation, and criminal networks employ sophisticated counter-surveillance measures. An additional 18.5% of cases, roughly 944 offences, were closed because victims declined to support further police action. This outcome category is particularly prevalent in firearms cases involving gang-related activity, drug markets, or domestic incidents where victims face intimidation or have complex relationships with suspects. The 15.2% of cases remaining under investigation, approximately 776 offences, represent ongoing inquiries that may ultimately result in charges as intelligence develops and evidence is gathered, particularly in complex conspiracy cases involving multiple suspects and extended criminal enterprises.

Trends in Firearm Seizures and Illegal Weapons in the UK 2025

Data Source: National Crime Agency (NCA) – National Strategic Assessment 2025; Police Recorded Crime Data

The analysis of firearm seizures and illegal weapons circulation in the UK during 2025 provides crucial insights into the types of weapons criminals actually acquire and use. Converted blank-firing weapons have emerged as the most commonly seized firearm type over the past two years, representing a shift in the illegal firearms market. These weapons, particularly Turkish-manufactured top-venting blank-firing pistols from four specific brands, can be readily converted to fire live ammunition despite being sold legally in their original state. The February 2025 firearms amnesty specifically targeted these devices, enabling public surrender and prompting wholesaler commitments to cease importation. The National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested five individuals in March 2024 following an investigation into blank-firing pistol conversion operations, recovering ten firearms and ultimately seizing 63 such weapons through coordinated multi-agency action. However, despite these interventions, converted blank-firers are expected to remain prevalent in UK criminality over the next 18 months as existing stocks continue to circulate within criminal networks.

Illegally imported handguns constitute the second most common seized firearm category, with the majority of criminally-used firearms smuggled into the UK from abroad rather than diverted from legitimate domestic sources. These weapons typically enter through established organized crime supply chains, often originating from European countries with less stringent controls or from conflict zones where firearms are more readily available. Imitation firearms, including realistic replicas and BB guns, feature prominently in seizure statistics, reflecting their use in threats and intimidation even when they cannot fire live ammunition. Notably, 3D-printed firearms and components remain very rare in criminal use, with almost certainly no discharges using 3D-printed firearms recorded in 2024. Criminals perceive these weapons as poor quality and lower status compared to genuine firearms, though the NCA assesses it is a realistic possibility that 3D-printed firearms may become more popular as manufacturing technology improves. The rarity of stolen licensed firearms in criminal circulation validates the security requirements imposed on certificate holders and the robust monitoring systems that flag missing weapons for immediate investigation.

Firearm-Related Incidents and Discharge Patterns in the UK 2025

Data Source: National Crime Agency (NCA) – National Strategic Assessment 2025; Home Office Police Recorded Crime Data

The patterns of firearm-related incidents and discharge behaviors in the UK during 2025 reveal important distinctions between how criminals acquire, possess, and actually use firearms. The vast majority of firearm incidents involve threats or implied possession rather than actual discharge, reflecting criminals’ preference for using weapons as intimidation tools rather than actively firing them. When firearms are visibly displayed during threats, they are often imitations rather than genuine weapons, and when threats are made through social media or indirect channels, firearms may not exist at all. This pattern demonstrates that the perception of firearm access often proves sufficient for criminals’ purposes, particularly in maintaining status within criminal hierarchies or establishing territorial dominance in drug distribution markets.

When discharges do occur, they predominantly involve rival criminal groups or individuals engaged in disputes related to the drugs trade, territorial control, debt collection, or personal feuds including revenge for previous assaults. These incidents typically unfold in public spaces such as streets and parks, significantly increasing the risk that uninvolved members of the public could be struck by stray bullets or caught in crossfire. The National Crime Agency notes that people not connected to criminality are rarely the intended victims of firearm discharges, though tragic incidents periodically occur that are inevitably high profile and create perceptions of heightened firearms crime even when overall trends remain stable or declining. Domestic incidents represent another significant context for firearm involvement, though in these cases weapons are predominantly used for threats and intimidation rather than discharge. The continued suppression of discharge incidents, down to 692 offences in 2024 from 814 the previous year, reflects decades of sustained commitment to reducing firearms threats and the maturation of intelligence-led approaches that disrupt weapons supply chains before firearms reach operational deployment in criminal activity.

International Comparisons: UK Gun Crime in Global Context 2025

Data Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); Office for National Statistics (ONS); Comparative International Statistics

The international context for UK gun crime in 2025 starkly illustrates the success of British firearms controls when measured against other developed nations. With a firearm homicide rate of approximately 0.04 per 100,000 population, the United Kingdom maintains one of the lowest rates globally, exceeded in safety only by Japan at 0.02 per 100,000. The UK’s rate stands dramatically lower than the United States, where the firearm homicide rate of 4.12 per 100,000 is more than 100 times higher. Even more revealing is the proportion of all homicides committed with firearms: in the UK, guns account for just 4.5% of homicides, compared to an extraordinary 85.7% in the United States as of 2021 data. This massive disparity reflects fundamentally different regulatory approaches, with the UK’s restrictive licensing system and near-prohibition of handgun ownership (following the 1997 Firearms Amendment Act) contrasting sharply with the constitutional protections and widespread civilian ownership characterizing American gun culture.

When compared to other European nations with relatively strict firearms regulations, the UK still performs exceptionally well. Germany, despite its robust licensing system, records a firearm homicide rate of 0.06 per 100,000, with guns involved in 10.2% of all homicides. France shows a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 with 16.8% of homicides firearm-related, while Australia, which implemented sweeping firearms reforms following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, maintains a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 with 13% firearm involvement. Canada, with its licensing system but more permissive ownership compared to the UK, records 0.38 per 100,000 and 37.5% firearm involvement in homicides. These comparisons validate the effectiveness of the UK’s layered approach combining near-prohibition of easily concealed handguns, strict licensing for sporting and agricultural long guns, robust border controls to interdict smuggling, and intelligence-led policing that prioritizes disruption of illegal firearms supply networks. The UK’s position as one of the safest developed nations regarding gun violence demonstrates that comprehensive firearms controls, when consistently applied and enforced over decades, can effectively suppress both firearms availability and firearms misuse.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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