The Facts

The Numbers Don’t Lie

A clear picture emerges of what is happening at each stage of the criminal justice system, from incident to conviction.

Domestic abuse – from incident to conviction
ESTIMATED VICTIMS:3,786,001
INCIDENTS RECORDED BY POLICE:21.6%
SUSPECTS REFERRED:2%
SUSPECTS CHARGED:1.4%
OFFENDERS CONVICTED:1.1%

This data includes male victims, but still means that only 21% of domestic abuse crimes are reported, and only 1% of offenders are convicted.

Domestic abuse-related calls to the police

The police receive a domestic abuse-related call every 30 seconds. And yet, only 21% of domestic abuse crime is reported to the police.

That means, if all incidents were reported, calls would be every 6 seconds.

(NB. All our statistics relate to England and Wales, unless specified, and are sourced at the end of this article.)

More Facts & Statistics on Domestic Abuse in the UK

The statistics on domestic abuse speak for themselves. They reveal the size of the challenge we face in our society today.

Domestic abuse and race

7.1% of people of mixed ethnicity experience domestic abuse. This compares with 5.0% of white people, 3.4% of black people, and 3.0% of Asian people.

*According to the 2021 Cencus, 81.7% of the population is white, followed by Asian ethnic groups (9.3%), black (4.0%), mixed (2.9%) and other (2.1%) ethnic groups.

Domestic abuse and disability

Disabled people aged 16+ are more than twice as likely to experience domestic abuse as those without a disability.

1 /5
1 woman killed every 5 days

On average, a woman is killed by an abusive partner or ex every five days.

30.3%

Almost a third of women have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16.

And 1 in 3 pregnant women will experience domestic abuse in the UK, too.

Women killed by men in 2022

The most recent data (from 2022) shows that 51% of women murdered by men in the UK were killed by a current or former intimate partner.

Women who have experienced online abuse
36%
62%

1 in 3 UK women have experienced online abuse or harassment, rising to almost 2 in 3 among young women aged 18–34.

1 in 6 (16%) of these women experienced this abuse from a partner or ex.

Children and young people
Children20%
teenagers49%

One in five children in the UK experience domestic abuse.

Half of teenagers in intimate relationships aged between 13 and 17 have experienced violent or controlling behaviour.

20%

1 in 5 recorded crimes are related to violence against women and girls.

91%

91% of defendants in domestic abuse prosecutions were male

8.5%

8.5% of defendants were female… but are three times more likely to be arrested.

We’re here for you. whenever you’re ready.

The first step is always the hardest. We know, because we’ve stood in your shoes. But know that you don’t have to take that step alone.

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Counselling session with a young abused woman and her counsellor

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If you, or someone you know, needs help right now, we are here to support you. Whether you want to call, email or visit us, click the link below.

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What is domestic abuse?

Sometimes it’s hard to know whether what you’re experiencing is abuse. We can help you spot the signs that you’re in an abusive relationship.

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You Are Not Alone

Domestic abuse is not caused by bad relationships, but by abusers. Reading other people’s stories can help us see that we are not at fault – and that we are not alone.

Read More Here

Sources
  1. Office for National Statistics – Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview, November 2025
  2. Office for National Statistics – Redevelopment of domestic abuse statistics, updated May 2025
  3. Latest Femicide Census, 2022
  4. Women’s Aid report – Supporting women and babies after domestic abuse
  5. Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme – Domestic Homicides and Suspected Victim Suicides 2020-2024
  6. Domestic abuse victim characteristics, England and Wales, March 2025
  7. The 2021 Cencus