Recorded knife crime offences in England and Wales reached a record high in the year ending June 2019, rising by 7% on the previous 12 months.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show a total number of incidents involving a knife or sharp instrument rose to 44,076.
This excludes Greater Manchester Police because the force’s data is not comparable due to reporting issues.
The total number of homicides recorded by the police fell by 5% in the last year, from 719 to 681 offences.
There has also been a 14% decrease in homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was involved to 248 offences, mainly driven by a drop in such incidents in London, the ONS said.
Joe Traynor, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: “While overall levels of violence have remained steady, the number of offences involving a knife has continued to increase across England and Wales.
“However, the number of homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was involved decreased, driven by falls in London.
“There is a mixed picture in the total number of knife crime offences across police forces with the Metropolitan Police recording little change in the last year.”