Civometry

ONS · offences

Possession of weapons (police-recorded) under each government

The full published series with each government’s time in office shaded. The table gives the level each government inherited and the last complete period before it left. Changes describe the period, not a cause. Definitions and caveats are on the metric page.

Possession of weapons (police-recorded): Year ending March 2003 to Year ending March 2026LabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour020k40k60k20052010201520202025Year ending March 2003: 36,379 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2004: 39,021 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2005: 40,605 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2006: 39,711 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2007: 38,937 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2008: 37,079 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2009: 35,662 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2010: 28,758 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2011: 26,327 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2012: 23,688 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2013: 19,910 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2014: 20,623 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2015: 21,890 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2016: 25,835 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2017: 31,316 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2018: 39,059 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2019: 46,493 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2020: 47,685 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2021: 44,703 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2022: 49,024 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2023: 57,648 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2024: 58,325 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2025: 57,746 offences · published 23 July 2026Year ending March 2026: 62,347 offences · published 23 July 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
GovernmentInheritedLeft at / latestChange during government
Labour 2024–5 July 2024 – present58,325Year ending March 202462,347Year ending March 2026↑ 6.9%+4,022
Conservative 2019–202413 December 2019 – 5 July 202446,493Year ending March 201958,325Year ending March 2024↑ 25.4%+11,832
Conservative 2017–20199 June 2017 – 13 December 201931,316Year ending March 201746,493Year ending March 2019↑ 48.5%+15,177
Conservative 2015–20178 May 2015 – 9 June 201721,890Year ending March 201531,316Year ending March 2017↑ 43.1%+9,426
Coalition 2010–201511 May 2010 – 8 May 201528,758Year ending March 201021,890Year ending March 2015↓ 23.9%−6,868
Labour 2005–20106 May 2005 – 11 May 201040,605Year ending March 200528,758Year ending March 2010↓ 29.2%−11,847
Labour 2001–20058 June 2001 – 5 May 2005No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 1997–20012 May 1997 – 7 June 2001No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1992–199710 April 1992 – 2 May 1997No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1987–199212 June 1987 – 9 April 1992No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1983–198710 June 1983 – 11 June 1987No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1979–19834 May 1979 – 9 June 1983No complete period was published before this government took office.