LONDON – London experienced a significant decline in its murder rate in 2025, reaching its lowest point in decades, according to city officials on Monday. Mayor Sadiq Khan highlighted that these statistics counteract assertions made by U.S. President Donald Trump and other right-wing figures, who have suggested that crime in the British capital is rampant and uncontrollable.

The Metropolitan Police reported that there were 97 homicides in London in 2025, a decrease from 109 in 2024, marking the lowest number since 2014. The police noted that the homicide rate per capita is the lowest since comparable record-keeping began in 1997, standing at 1.1 murders per 100,000 residents.

In comparison, the homicide rates in other major cities are higher, with Paris at 1.6 per 100,000, New York at 2.8, and Berlin at 3.2, according to police data.

Mayor Khan expressed his frustration with certain politicians and media commentators who have been perpetuating false narratives about London. “Some are flooding social media with constant distortions and falsehoods, portraying a dystopian image of London,” Khan stated in an interview with The Associated Press. “This portrayal is far from the reality.”

President Trump, known for his long-standing criticism of Khan, claimed in September that crime in London was “through the roof.” He has previously labeled Khan as a “stone-cold loser,” a “nasty person,” and, during a speech at the U.N. General Assembly in September, a “terrible, terrible mayor.” Additionally, Trump has made unfounded accusations that Khan intends to implement Sharia, or Islamic law, in the city.

City officials say a combination of targeted policing aimed at organized crime and a violence reduction unit that aims to stop young people getting involved with gangs have helped reduce violent crime.

A falling murder rate is only part of the story. Many Londoners have firsthand experience of phone-snatching, and shoplifting has surged, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales, which asks people about their experience of crime rather than relying on police figures, found overall crime rose by 7% in the year to March 2025 from the previous 12 months, though it remains significantly lower than in 2017.

Arguments that London is a crime-plagued dystopia under Labour Party mayor Khan have mushroomed on social media sites including the Elon Musk-owned X, formerly Twitter, and are echoed by opposition politicians, often tied to anti-immigrant views.

“There are certain politicians, certain commentators who have been using London as a punchbag” to fit their own political agenda, Khan said.

“London is, in my view, the best city in the world. We are liberal, we are progressive, we are diverse. And we are incredibly successful,” he said.

Khan said London is the “number one city in the world for tourism, the sporting capital of the world, the cultural capital of the world, more international students than in any city in the world, a record amount of foreign direct investment. Last year, more Americans came to London to study or to work or to invest since records began. So we’re the antithesis to everything these nativists believe in. And if you’re President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, or if you’re an imitator in Europe or indeed in the UK, I can see why this is a problem to you.”