In this guide(8 sections)
Before any number on this page: if you're reading this because it's happening to you, you are not alone, it is not your fault, and there is help right now. 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) is the national family and sexual violence counselling line, open 24 hours. Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
Statistics about family violence have to be handled gently. Each figure below is a person — often someone who told no one for a long time, who loved the other party, who was frightened and unsure. I've sat with a lot of those people. So I've set out the data plainly and without sensationalism, because clear, honest numbers help us understand how common this is, and how ordinary it is to need help. Family violence affects people of every gender, age, culture and community. It is never the fault of the person experiencing it.
Every figure here is drawn from official sources — the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and the Crime Statistics Agency Victoria — with nothing invented. (This is general information, not legal advice. If you'd like advice on your own situation, the first chat is free and confidential.)
At a glance — family violence in Australia (official data)
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Adults who have experienced partner violence since age 15 | ~1 in 5 (21%), about 4.2 million people |
| Women — partner violence since age 15 | ~17% |
| Men — partner violence since age 15 | ~5.5% |
| Family/domestic violence as a share of assault victims — WA | ~64.7% |
| — Northern Territory | ~64.2% |
| — Queensland | ~59.9% |
| — South Australia | ~50.9% |
| — New South Wales | ~48.6% |
| Victoria — family incidents recorded (year ending Dec 2024) | ~104,786 |
Sources: ABS Personal Safety Survey, 2021–22 (partner violence); ABS Recorded Crime — Victims, 2024 (family-and-domestic-violence share of assault victims); Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (Victorian family incidents).
The headline figure: According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Personal Safety Survey (2021–22), around 1 in 5 Australian adults — 21%, or about 4.2 million people — have experienced violence or abuse from a partner since the age of 15. This affects people of all genders and communities, and is one of the most common forms of harm measured in Australia.
Source: ABS, Personal Safety Survey, Australia, 2021–22.
How common is partner violence in Australia?
Around 1 in 5 Australian adults — about 21%, or 4.2 million people — have experienced violence or abuse by a partner since the age of 15, according to the ABS Personal Safety Survey (2021–22). This is a measure of lifetime experience among adults, not a single year, and it counts current or previous cohabiting partners. It is a large number, and a reminder that experiencing partner violence is far more common than most people realise.
Source: ABS, Personal Safety Survey, 2021–22 (abs.gov.au).
If one of these numbers is you, please hold onto this: being part of a statistic this large means you are in very ordinary, very human company, and that the supports and legal protections described below exist precisely because this is so common.
Does family violence affect women and men differently?
The ABS Personal Safety Survey (2021–22) found that around 17% of women and around 5.5% of men have experienced violence from a partner since the age of 15. Women experience partner violence at a notably higher rate, and tend to experience more frequent and more severe violence. At the same time, the figures make clear that men also experience partner violence, and that anyone — of any gender — who is being harmed deserves support and protection.
Source: ABS, Personal Safety Survey, 2021–22 (abs.gov.au).
I mention both figures deliberately. Family violence is not a single story. It happens to women and to men, in same-sex and opposite-sex relationships, across every cultural community in Australia. No one should feel that the data leaves them out, or that their experience doesn't count.
What share of assaults are family and domestic violence?
In several Australian states, family and domestic violence makes up around half — or more — of all recorded assault victims. Drawing on ABS Recorded Crime — Victims (2024): Western Australia ~64.7%, the Northern Territory ~64.2%, Queensland ~59.9%, South Australia ~50.9% and New South Wales ~48.6% of assault victims were recorded in a family-and-domestic-violence context. The proportions differ by state in part because of differences in recording practices and reporting, so they are best read as the share of recorded assault victims rather than a perfect measure of prevalence.
Source: ABS, Recorded Crime — Victims, 2024 (abs.gov.au).
These figures sit behind a quiet truth I see in practice: a great deal of the violence police are called to is not between strangers. It happens at home, between people who know each other — which is exactly what makes it so hard to talk about, and so important to have a safe way out of.
How many family violence incidents are recorded in Victoria?
Victoria Police recorded approximately 104,786 family incidents in the year ending December 2024, according to the Crime Statistics Agency Victoria. A "family incident" is logged whenever police attend and assess a situation involving family violence, whether or not a charge is laid — so it captures the scale of police response rather than only matters that proceed to court.
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).
That's well over a hundred thousand times in a single year that Victoria Police attended a home over family violence. If you've called the police, or are thinking about it, you are very far from alone — and police attendance is often the first step toward an intervention order and a safer arrangement.
Where can I find official family violence data and support?
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) publishes regular national reporting on family, domestic and sexual violence, bringing together data on prevalence, hospitalisations, homicides and service use. It is a useful, attributed starting point for context alongside the ABS prevalence figures and state-level crime data, and it explains the limits of what the data can and cannot tell us.
Source: AIHW, Family, domestic and sexual violence reporting (aihw.gov.au).
A gentle note on all of this data: family violence is widely under-reported, so official figures almost certainly understate how often it happens. If your experience isn't "in the numbers", that doesn't make it less real or less serious.
If you're experiencing family violence
If anything on this page is part of your life right now, please know the most important step is your safety, and that you don't have to work out the legal side alone. There are protections available — including intervention orders and urgent applications — designed to keep you and your children safe.
The first conversation with us is free, confidential, and completely without obligation. We'll listen first, explain your options in plain English, and there's no pressure to do anything beyond that call. If you are in immediate danger, call 000. For 24-hour counselling, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Speak to us any time on 03 4328 5084 or book a free, confidential chat →.
Frequently asked questions
How common is family violence in Australia?
Around 1 in 5 Australian adults — about 21%, or 4.2 million people — have experienced violence or abuse from a partner since the age of 15. It is one of the most common forms of harm measured in Australia and affects people of all genders and communities. Source: ABS, Personal Safety Survey, 2021–22.
How many women and men experience partner violence?
The ABS Personal Safety Survey (2021–22) found around 17% of women and around 5.5% of men have experienced violence from a partner since the age of 15. Women experience partner violence at a higher rate and more often experience severe and repeated violence, but men also experience it and deserve support and protection. Source: ABS, Personal Safety Survey, 2021–22.
What proportion of assaults are family and domestic violence?
In several states, family and domestic violence makes up around half or more of recorded assault victims — for example Western Australia ~64.7%, the Northern Territory ~64.2%, Queensland ~59.9%, South Australia ~50.9% and New South Wales ~48.6%. State differences partly reflect recording and reporting practices. Source: ABS, Recorded Crime — Victims, 2024.
How many family violence incidents does Victoria record each year?
Victoria Police recorded approximately 104,786 family incidents in the year ending December 2024. A family incident is logged whenever police attend and assess a family violence situation, whether or not a charge follows, so it reflects the scale of police response. Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria.
Is family violence under-reported?
Yes. Family violence is widely understood to be under-reported, so official figures almost certainly understate how often it happens. National reporting from the AIHW brings together prevalence, service-use and other data, and explains the limits of what can be measured. Source: AIHW, Family, domestic and sexual violence reporting.
Where can I get help right now?
For 24-hour family and sexual violence counselling, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you are in immediate danger, call 000. For legal options such as intervention orders, a family lawyer can explain your protections in a free, confidential first conversation.
Prepared by the Fogarty Oliver Rothschild family law team as general information about Australian family law. Family and property law in Melbourne since 2012. Published 6 July 2026.
This guide is general information about Australian family law, not legal advice for your specific situation. For advice on your matter, book a free initial consultation.