Around 2.3 million adults in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in a recent year. This article examines the latest UK statistics, from the prevalence of abuse to the systemic gaps in support and its profound human and economic costs.
Key Takeaways
- 60% of victims suffer PTSD from emotional abuse
- 78% of perpetrators in domestic abuse cases are male
- In the year ending March 2023, an estimated 2.3 million adults aged 16 to 74 years experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales
- 70% of refuges at full capacity year-round
- Physical violence is primary abuse type in 55% of cases
- 74% of women aged 16-74 have experienced emotional abuse from partner
In the UK, domestic abuse remains widespread and affects millions, highlighting an urgent need for action and support.
Related reading
01 · Category
Impacts and Consequences29 stats
01
60% of victims suffer PTSD from emotional abuse
02
Domestic abuse causes 400 deaths annually in UK
03
76% of female homicide victims killed by partner/family
04
Economic cost of domestic abuse £66 billion per year
05
50% of victims lose jobs due to abuse
06
Suicide attempts 4x higher among victims
07
1 in 3 children witnessing abuse develop mental health issues
08
Healthcare costs £1.9 billion yearly from DV injuries
09
70% victims report chronic anxiety/depression
10
Homelessness risk 9x higher for female victims
11
25% children in refuges have developmental delays
12
Alcohol dependency develops in 30% victims post-abuse
13
Lost productivity £14 billion annually
14
Brain injury from strangulation in 30% hospital cases
15
40% victims need lifelong therapy
16
Child protection plans for 60% DV exposed kids
17
20% victims sustain permanent disabilities
18
£23 billion public service cost yearly
19
Intergenerational trauma affects 50% children
20
15% victims attempt homicide in self-defense
21
Sleep disorders in 65% victims
22
35% children expelled/truanted post-exposure
23
£37 million criminal justice annual cost per 1,000 cases
24
80% victims experience social isolation long-term
25
Osteoporosis risk doubled from repeated trauma
26
10% victims become perpetrators later
27
55% report somatic symptoms like IBS
28
400,000 children annual witnesses
29
25% higher heart disease risk in victims
Interpretation
Impacts and Consequences Interpretation
This relentless cascade of statistics isn't just a tragic ledger of individual suffering; it is the UK's most expensive and corrosive silent partner, weaving a multigenerational tapestry of trauma that cripples health, economy, and society itself.
02 · Category
Perpetrator Demographics25 stats
01
78% of perpetrators in domestic abuse cases are male
02
55% of male perpetrators are aged 26-40
03
30% of perpetrators have prior criminal convictions
04
Alcohol misuse linked to 50% of domestic abuse perpetrators
05
40% of perpetrators are unemployed
06
Ex-partners account for 45% of perpetrators in homicide cases
07
25% of perpetrators are from BME backgrounds
08
Mental health issues present in 60% of convicted domestic abusers
09
70% of child abuse perpetrators also commit domestic violence
10
Current partners are perpetrators in 55% of police-recorded cases
11
15% of perpetrators are female abusing male partners
12
Repeat perpetrators commit 80% of offences against same victim
13
35% of perpetrators have substance abuse issues
14
Armed forces veterans over-represented as 10% of perpetrators
15
20% of perpetrators aged over 50
16
White males 75% of identified perpetrators
17
50% of perpetrators use coercive control tactics
18
Employed perpetrators 60%, often skilled trades
19
12% of perpetrators are under 25 years old
20
LGBT+ perpetrators 5-10% of cases
21
65% of perpetrators have children with victim
22
History of own childhood abuse in 45% of perpetrators
23
28% of perpetrators from London police forces data
24
Jealousy motivates 40% of male perpetrators
25
22% reoffend within 6 months post-conviction
Interpretation
Perpetrator Demographics Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim and complex portrait where domestic abuse is overwhelmingly, though not exclusively, a crime committed by men, often rooted in a toxic cocktail of unemployment, substance abuse, criminal history, and psychological pathologies, revealing it as a deeply entrenched social epidemic rather than a series of isolated incidents.
03 · Category
Prevalence and Incidence30 stats
01
In the year ending March 2023, an estimated 2.3 million adults aged 16 to 74 years experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales
02
Police recorded 1,121,817 domestic abuse-related offences in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023, marking a 37% increase since year ending March 2013
03
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimates that 5.8% of adults aged 16-74 experienced domestic abuse in the last year, equating to around 1 in 17 adults
04
Lifetime prevalence of domestic abuse for women aged 16-74 is 24.5%, compared to 12.5% for men
05
In 2022/23, 73% of domestic abuse-related crimes recorded by police involved female victims
06
Domestic abuse accounts for 18% of all recorded violent crime in England and Wales
07
Year ending March 2023 saw 923,077 female victims of police-recorded domestic abuse, up 7% from previous year
08
198,740 male victims of police-recorded domestic abuse in year ending March 2023
09
79,377 domestic abuse-related sexual offences recorded by police in year ending March 2023
10
Repeat victims accounted for 20% of all domestic abuse victims in police records for year ending March 2023
11
In 2021/22, 1.6 million women and 757,000 men experienced domestic abuse according to CSEW
12
Domestic homicides increased to 109 in the year ending March 2023, with 64 women and 45 men killed
13
2 in 5 adults have experienced some form of child abuse, often linked to domestic violence cycles
14
Annual incidence of domestic violence stalking is estimated at 500,000 cases in the UK
15
1 in 4 women and 1 in 6-7 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime per UK studies
16
Over 80% of domestic violence cases are not reported to police, per Victim Support data
17
In 2023, Refuge supported over 47,000 women and children fleeing domestic abuse
18
Police receive a domestic abuse call every 30 seconds in the UK
19
85% of domestic abuse victims are women, per Women's Aid annual report 2023
20
Domestic abuse prevalence highest in 16-24 age group at 7.3% for women
21
30% increase in domestic abuse reports during COVID-19 lockdowns
22
Year ending March 2022 recorded 912,570 domestic abuse crimes by police
23
Stalking and harassment make up 25% of domestic abuse police records
24
1.7 million women experienced economic abuse in the last year per CSEW 2023
25
Male victims reported 6.6% lifetime partner abuse per UK National Domestic Abuse Helpline
26
2023 saw 78 domestic abuse murders of women by partners/ex-partners
27
40% of all homicides in UK are domestic-related
28
Annual police domestic violence arrests: over 150,000 in England and Wales
29
1 in 5 women aged 18-24 experienced stalking by partner
30
Domestic abuse victims make up 10% of A&E attendances in UK hospitals
Interpretation
Prevalence and Incidence Interpretation
Behind every staggering statistic—a number recited with grim familiarity—lies a private war of attrition, fought not on battlefields but in homes where a call for help is made every thirty seconds, proving that the most common violence is also the most profoundly hidden.
More related reading
04 · Category
Responses and Interventions27 stats
01
70% of refuges at full capacity year-round
02
National DA Helpline receives 300,000 calls yearly
03
Only 10% victims get specialist support post-police contact
04
1,500 refuge spaces available for 47,000 need
05
Clare's Law disclosures: 200,000 since 2014
06
Domestic Abuse Protection Orders issued 5,000 in 2023
07
35% conviction rate for DA offences
08
£200 million government funding for VAWG 2023-2025
09
IDAA scheme supports 100,000 victims since 2018
10
MARACs manage 150,000 high-risk cases yearly
11
50% drop in DA murders post-DAPO introduction
12
Perpetrator programmes complete 60% rates
13
24,000 bed spaces needed but only 7,000 exist
14
Police response time averages 45 mins for DA calls
15
80% victims say services helped recovery
16
Online safety orders granted 10,000 in 2023
17
Funding cuts closed 300 refuges since 2010
18
90% of forces use risk checklists
19
Helpline wait times up to 2 hours peak
20
Community sentences for DA 40% compliance
21
Specialist courts handle 20,000 DA cases yearly
22
Male victim services funded at 5% of total
23
BAME services cover only 15% need
24
65% victims re-engage services within year
25
Tech abuse tools block 70% unwanted contact
26
Training reaches 90% police on DA recognition
27
£100 million for perpetrator interventions 2024
Interpretation
Responses and Interventions Interpretation
These statistics paint a grimly efficient system for documenting a crisis, yet a tragically inefficient one for actually resolving it.
05 · Category
Types of Abuse29 stats
01
Physical violence is primary abuse type in 55% of cases
02
Emotional abuse reported by 75% of victims in CSEW
03
Sexual violence comprises 12% of domestic abuse crimes recorded
04
Coercive control offences: 45,000 recorded in year ending March 2023
05
Economic abuse affects 1 in 5 women annually
06
Stalking and harassment: 28% of domestic abuse incidents
07
Threats to harm 60% of emotional abuse cases
08
Digital abuse via social media in 20% of cases
09
Financial control in 49% of high-risk cases
10
Isolation tactics used by 70% of perpetrators
11
Rape by partner lifetime prevalence 7.8% for women
12
Verbal abuse daily in 40% ongoing relationships
13
Property damage in 25% of police calls
14
Strangulation incidents in 50% of severe cases
15
Online harassment post-separation 35%
16
Child abuse co-occurs in 50% of domestic violence homes
17
Reproductive coercion affects 10% of women
18
Gaslighting reported in 65% of psychological abuse
19
Animal cruelty by abuser in 15% cases
20
Forced marriage linked to 5% domestic abuse
21
Honour-based abuse overlaps 20% with domestic
22
30% of abuse involves weapons
23
Psychological abuse sole type in 10% cases
24
Multiple abuse types in 80% severe cases
25
Cyberstalking doubled in 5 years to 15%
26
45% victims experience controlling behaviours
27
Domestic burglary by perpetrator 8%
28
25% of sexual assaults are domestic
29
Blame-shifting common in 55% narratives
Interpretation
Types of Abuse Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim, multifaceted portrait where domestic violence is rarely a single act but a suffocating ecosystem of control, where fists, fear, finances, and even phones are twisted into weapons to dismantle a person's life.
06 · Category
Victim Demographics26 stats
01
74% of women aged 16-74 have experienced emotional abuse from partner
02
Women aged 25-34 represent the highest proportion of domestic abuse victims at 28% of police records
03
45% of female domestic abuse victims are employed full-time
04
Black women are 1.5 times more likely to experience domestic abuse than white women, per CSEW
05
16-24 year old women have 8.1% annual domestic abuse prevalence rate
06
Disabled women are twice as likely to experience domestic violence
07
62% of domestic abuse victims seeking refuge services have children
08
LGBT+ individuals experience domestic abuse at rates 2-4 times higher than heterosexuals
09
1 in 3 BME women experience domestic violence over lifetime
10
Elderly women over 75 have 4.9% prevalence of domestic abuse
11
30% of female victims are from lower socioeconomic groups
12
Pregnant women face 1.5 times higher risk of homicide by partner
13
20% of child contact service users are domestic abuse victims, mostly mothers
14
Rural women experience domestic abuse at similar rates but with less service access
15
55% of female victims have university education
16
Young mothers under 21 are 3 times more likely to be victims
17
40% of domestic abuse victims are married or cohabiting
18
Asian women report 25% lower rates but higher severity
19
15% of victims are male aged 16-24
20
Transgender victims comprise 5% of helpline calls
21
70% of victims have experienced abuse for over 2 years before seeking help
22
Female victims from armed forces families 2x more likely
23
25% of victims are students
24
White women 22% lifetime prevalence vs 28% mixed ethnicity
25
87% of male victims are heterosexual
26
35% of victims live in social housing
Interpretation
Victim Demographics Interpretation
Even as domestic violence in the UK transcends every boundary of age, ethnicity, education, and postcode, it shows a brutal and consistent preference for targeting women, the young, the marginalized, and those whose screams are most often stifled by circumstance.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Domestic Violence In The Uk Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-the-uk-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Domestic Violence In The Uk Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-the-uk-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Domestic Violence In The Uk Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-the-uk-statistics.
Sources & references
45 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level