9.6% of adults in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse — The Guardian

According to The Guardian, 9.6% of people aged 16 and over in England and Wales, or around 4.7 million people, experienced domestic abuse over the course of a year. These results were shown by the Crime Survey for England and Wales, conducted by the UK Office for National Statistics.

The rate rose over the year

By comparison, in the year to September 2025, 7.8% of adults, or approximately 3.8 million people, experienced domestic abuse. The Office for National Statistics noted that the estimates may have been affected by minor changes to the survey and uncertainty inherent in collecting data on a sensitive subject. At the same time, the agency believes that the increase partly reflects real changes.

The rise in the rate is primarily linked to a significant increase in cases of abuse by an intimate partner — by almost 2% compared with the previous year. At the same time, no statistically significant change was recorded in abuse by family members: the rate rose by only 0.1%.

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Other types of crime

In addition, 2.1% of respondents, or around 1 million people, experienced sexual victimisation, while 3.9%, or an estimated 1.9 million people, experienced stalking. These indicators are not compared with previous estimates because new questions were used for them.

Overall, 10.9% of people aged 16 and over, or around 5.3 million adults, encountered at least one of the three types of crime: domestic abuse, sexual victimisation, or stalking. Among women, this figure was 12.8%, or approximately 3.2 million people; among men, it was 8.9%, or around 2.1 million.

The survey is conducted face-to-face in households and covers more than 30,000 adults each year. The current statistics concern the financial year ending in March 2026. The charity Refuge said the data were concerning and called for stable long-term funding for specialised support services for survivors.