There were 732 homicides in England and Wales last year - the highest number in a decade, official figures show.
Police-recorded offences involving knives or sharp instruments were also up by 6% in 2018 compared with the previous year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Thursday.
The number of homicides last year was at its highest in any calendar year since 2007, when the total was 765.
The figures come after a spate of knife crimes involving young people triggered a political row over cuts to police funding.
One of the latest killings was that of an 18-year-old man who was stabbed to death in the Harborne area of Birmingham on Wednesday evening.
The ONS release showed an increase in knife offences in 31 of the 43 police forces in the year leading up to December.
More than 40,800 offences involving knives or sharp objects were reported across all the forces excluding Greater Manchester Police.
The number of violent offences against people was more than 1,608,500 last year - a 19% increase on 2017.
The rise in homicides, which includes murders and manslaughter, stood at 6%.
Victim Support spokesman Alex Mayes said: “It’s deeply concerning to see homicides continue to rise and we know from working with those bereaved by murder and manslaughter through our national Homicide Service just how devastating the impact is on family and friends, witnesses to the crime and the wider community.”
Some of the more notable figures for police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2018.
From left to right: name of force, number of offences in 2017, number of offences in 2018, percentage change year on year.
City of London 17; 65; up 282%
British Transport Police 126; 194; up 54%
Merseyside 910; 1,231; up 35%
North Wales 247; 298; up 21%
North Yorkshire 230; 279; up 21%
Yvette Cooper, the Labour MP who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “Knife crime is now at record levels and this is a very disturbing increase in violent crime at the same time as the number of arrests is continuing to fall.
“The police are completely overstretched and crime prevention work is far too limited.
“The Home Office and Government response on knife crime and other rising crimes is still far too weak and just doesn’t match the scale of the problem.
“The problem of violent crime is going to get worse unless the Government acts, and it is families and communities across the country who are paying a terrible price”.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the figures are “deeply troubling”.
The Labour MP said: “Members of the public and police officers are both increasingly concerned about the growth of serious crime including knife crime.
“But ministers are in denial, refusing to accept that their cuts to police forces have had any impact either on crime levels or the ability to apprehend the criminals.
“The Government is failing in one of its most basic duties, to protect its own citizens. These reckless cuts must end.”