Four in ten murders in the UK were committed using a knife or sharp instrument, say new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
In the year to March 2022 killings totalled 282.
This represents a 19% cent rise compared to 2021 and the highest annual total since records began in 1946.
The 2021/22 total number of murders, manslaughters and instances of infanticide is similar to a previous high of 281 in the 12 months to March 2018, the study said.
Knives and sharp instruments continued to be the most common weapon.
The ONS noted there was an 18% hike in the number of male victims, from 184 to 218.
The largest volume increase was for teenage boys aged 16 to 17, rising from 10 killings to 24.
The latest analysis shows 177 victims of homicide by knife or sharp instrument were white (63 per cent), an increase of 36 compared with the previous year.