<p>The Home Office Homicide Index holds detailed data on homicides recorded by the police in England and Wales. Information on the type of sharp instrument used in a homicide, including zombie knives and machetes, was added to the collection in April 2022. These data, for the year ending March 2023, are due to be published by the Office for National Statistics in February 2024.</p><p>The Homicide Index also holds information on the method of killing and age of convicted suspect. These data are in the given table. The number of convictions is likely to increase as more cases are finalised by the courts.</p><p>The Home Office does not routinely collect information on the types of knives or sharp instruments used in other offences or the age of perpetrators.</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="6"><p><strong>Number of suspects convicted of homicide where method of killing was by sharp instrument, by age,</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>England and Wales, 2017/18 to 2021/22</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019/20</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2020/21</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2021/22</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Under 16</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>16 to 24</p></td><td><p>141</p></td><td><p>125</p></td><td><p>135</p></td><td><p>119</p></td><td><p>83</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>25 to 34</p></td><td><p>55</p></td><td><p>70</p></td><td><p>59</p></td><td><p>52</p></td><td><p>41</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>35 to 44</p></td><td><p>32</p></td><td><p>37</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p>19</p></td><td><p>18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>45 to 54</p></td><td><p>26</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>55 to 64</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>65 to 74</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>75 plus</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>289</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>275</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>259</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>224</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>178</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Source: Home Office Homide Index</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><p>As at 6 December 2022; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>