Baseline report

Data

In 2021-22, 22 per cent of women and 6.1 per cent of men have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.

In the two years to 2021-22, 3.0 per cent of women aged 18 years and over experienced sexual violence. 

• 12.4 per cent of women aged 18 to 24 years had recent experience, compared to 4.5 per cent of women aged 25-34 years, 2.5 per cent of women aged 35-44 years, 1.9 per cent of women aged 45-54 years and 0.5 per cent of women aged 55 years and over.
• 4.0 per cent of women with disability had recent experience, compared to 2.5 per cent of women without disability.
• 13 per cent of women who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual (LGB) or who used a different term such as asexual, pansexual or queer had recent experience, compared to 2.4 per cent of women who identified as heterosexual.
• 7.6 per cent of single mothers with children under the age of 15 years had recent experience, compared to 5.6 per cent of single mothers with older or non-dependent children, 4.7 per cent of women who live by themselves or in a share house, 2 per cent of women in a couple family with children, and 1.2 per cent of women in a couple family with no children.
• 7.1 per cent of women who were renting had recent experience, compared to 1.5 per cent of women who owned their own home.
• Rates of recent sexual violence were higher for women who experienced one or more recent cash flow problems (8.1 per cent) or who were unable to raise $2,000 within a week for something important (6.6 per cent).
• Rates of recent sexual violence were higher for women living in a capital city (3.4 per cent) compared to women living outside of a capital city (2.3 per cent).

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Data source

Sexual violence, 2021-22 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)

Released every five years

Data

In 2021-22, an estimated 1.7 million people (8.7 per cent) experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months, including:

• 13 per cent of women (1.3 million)
• 4.5 per cent of men (426,800).

Recent experience of sexual harassment was:

• highest among women aged 18 to 24 years (35 per cent) 
• lowest among women aged 65 years and over (3.2 per cent).

Recent experience of sexual harassment was higher for:

• women who identified as LGB or who used a different term such as asexual, pansexual or queer (37 per cent) compared to women who identified as heterosexual (11 per cent)
• women with disability (14 per cent) compared to women without disability (12 per cent)
• women who were unemployed (29 per cent) compared to employed women (15 per cent) and women not in the labour force (7.4 per cent)
• women born in Australia (14 per cent) compared to women born overseas (8.4 per cent)
• women living in a capital city (14 per cent) compared to women living outside a capital city (11 per cent)
• women who experienced recent cash flow problems (27 per cent) compared to women who hadn’t (11 per cent).

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Data source

Personal Safety Survey, via Sexual harassment, 2021-22 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Released every five years

Data

In 2021-22, an estimated 7 million people aged 18 years and over (36 per cent) experienced physical violence since the age of 15.

• 42 per cent of men (4.0 million) have experienced physical violence.
• 39 per cent of men (3.7 million) have experienced physical violence by a male and 12 per cent (1.1 million) have experienced physical violence by a female.
• 31 per cent of women (3.1 million) have experienced physical violence.
• 28 per cent of women (2.8 million) have experienced physical violence by a male and 9 per cent (890,000) have experienced physical violence by a female.

In the two years to 2021-22, 4.8 per cent of women aged 18 years and over experienced physical violence.

• 11.2 per cent of women aged 18 to 24 years had recent experience, compared to 7.2 per cent of women aged 25-34 years, 5.4 per cent of women aged 35-44 years, 3.6 per cent of women aged 45-54 years, 3.0 per cent of women aged 55-64 years and 1.1 per cent of women aged 65 years and over.
• 5.8 per cent of women with disability, compared to 4.2 per cent of women without disability.
• 11 per cent of women who identified as LGB or used a different term such as asexual, pansexual or queer, compared to 4.4 per cent of women who identified as heterosexual.
• 15.4 per cent of single mothers with children under the age of 15 years, 9.4 per cent of women living in group households, 7.4 per cent of single mothers with older or non-dependent children, 5.1 per cent of women in a couple with older or no dependent children, 4.5 per cent of women living alone, 3.0 per cent of women living in a couple with children under 15 years, and 2.9 per cent of women living in a couple with no children.
• 15 per cent of women who were unemployed, compared to 5.3 per cent of women who were employed and 3.1 per cent of women not in the labour force.
• 8.3 per cent of women currently renting, compared to 4.6 per cent of women who were a homeowner with a mortgage and 2.3 per cent of women without a mortgage.
• 4.7 per cent of women living in a capital city and 4.9 per cent of women living outside a capital city.
• 14 per cent of women who experienced recent cash flow problems compared to 3.4 per cent of women who did not.

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Data source

Personal Safety Survey, via Physical violence, 2021-22 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Released every five years

Data

Surveyed in 2021, 51.1 per cent of women and 50.8 per cent of men have experienced at least one type of technology-facilitated abuse in their lifetime.

Of all Australians 18 years and over, those who were most likely to have lifetime experience of technology-facilitated abuse were:

• 72.7 per cent of those identifying as LGB+
• 71.5 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 years, 70.4 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 years, and 61.1 per cent of those aged 35 to 44 years
• 69.9 per cent of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
• 57.0 per cent of Australians with a disability.

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Data source

Technology-facilitated abuse: Extent, nature and responses in the Australian community | Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS), 2022

Completed project with no future updates expected.

Data

In 2021-22, one in six women (16.9 per cent) and one in 18 men (5.5 per cent) had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a current or previous cohabiting partner since the age of 15.

In the two years to 2021-22, rates of partner violence were:

• 2.6 per cent of women aged 18-34 years, 2.2 per cent of women aged 35-54 years, and 0.6 per cent of women aged 55 years and over
• 2.2 per cent for women with disability compared to 1.5 per cent for women without
• highest for single mothers with children under the age of 15 years (9.3 per cent), compared to other family and household types
• 3.5 per cent for women who were renting compared to 1.1 per cent for women who owned their home
• 1.9 per cent for women living in major cities (1.9 per cent) compared to 1.4 per cent outside major cities
• 1.8 per cent for women with non-school qualifications compared to 1.4 per cent without non-school qualifications
• 6.2 per cent for women who experienced recent cash flow problems compared to 1.2 per cent for women who hadn’t.

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Data source

Personal Safety Survey via Family, domestic and sexual violence | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Released every five years

Data

In 2021-22, one in four women (22.9 per cent) and one in seven men (13.8 per cent) had emotional abuse by a current or previous cohabiting partner since the age of 15.

In the two years to 2021-22, rates of emotional abuse by a partner were:

• 4.7 per cent of women aged 18-34 years, 7.7 per cent of women aged 35-54 years, and 3.8 per cent of women aged 55 years and over
• 7.0 per cent of women with disability compared to 4.6 per cent of women without disability
• highest for single mothers with children under the age of 15 years (18 per cent), compared to other family and household types
• 7.3 per cent for women who were renting compared to 4.8 per cent for women who owned their home
• 5.1 per cent for women living in major cities compared to 5.8 per cent outside major cities
• 6.1 per cent for women with non-school qualifications compared to 3.4 per cent for women without
• 13 per cent for women who experienced recent cash flow problems compared to 4.3 per cent for those who hadn’t.

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Data source

• Partner violence, 2021-22 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics
• Family, domestic and sexual violence | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Released every five years

Data

In 2021-22, one in six women (16.3 per cent) and one in 13 men (7.8 per cent) had economic abuse by a current or previous cohabiting partner since the age of 15.

In the two years to 2021-22, rates of economic abuse by a partner were:

• 3.1 per cent of women aged 18-34 years, 4.5 per cent of women aged 35-54 years, and 1.8 per cent of women aged 55 years and over
• 4.6 per cent of women with disability compared to 2.4 per cent of women without disability
• highest for single mothers with children under the age of 15 years (17 per cent), compared to other family and household types
• 5.5 per cent for women who were renting compared to 2.3 per cent of women who owned their home
• 2.9 per cent for women living in major cities and 3.3 per cent outside major cities
• 3.5 per cent for women with non-school qualifications compared to 2.0 per cent of women without
• 9.3 per cent for women who experienced recent cash flow problems compared to 2.2 of women who hadn’t.

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Data source

• Partner violence, 2021-22 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics
• Family, domestic and sexual violence | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Released every five years

Data

Children using child care in 2022 

Of children aged 0-5 years, 48.2 per cent attended an Australian Government CCS provider. Of these:

• 4.6 per cent are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (6.5 per cent of all children aged 0-5 years are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander).
• 21.7 per cent are from non-English speaking backgrounds (compared to 24.1 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)
• 23.3 per cent are from regional areas (compared to 24.9 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)
• 1.0 per cent are from remote and very remote areas (compared to 2.3 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)
• 23.1 per cent from low-income families (compared to 25.7 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)
• 4.5 per cent have a disability (compared to 5.4 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)

Of children aged 6-12 years, 19.8 per cent attended an Australian Government CCS provider. Of these:

• 3.2 per cent are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (5.7 per cent of all children aged 6-12 years are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander).
• 14.3 per cent are from non-English speaking backgrounds (compared to 21.1 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)
• 20.0 per cent are from regional areas (compared to 26.5 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)
• 0.6 per cent are from remote and very remote areas (compared to 2.2 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)
• 23.5 per cent from low-income families (compared to 26.6 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)
• 4.7 per cent have a disability (compared to 9.6 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)

Preschool program participation in 2022

In the year before full-time schooling (ages are state-specific) 89.1 per cent of eligible children are enrolled in preschool. Of these:

• 6.7 per cent are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (6.1 per cent of children aged 4-5 years are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander)
• 16.2 per cent are from non-English speaking backgrounds (compared to 23.9 per cent of children aged 4-5 years)
• 26.6 per cent are from regional areas (compared to 25.2 per cent of children aged 4-5 years)
• 2.1 per cent are from remote and very remote areas (compared to 2.3 per cent of children aged 4-5 years)
• 17 per cent from low-income families (compared to 17.5 per cent of children aged 4-5 years)
• 6.3 per cent have a disability (compared to 7.6 per cent of children aged 4-5 years).

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Data source

3 Early childhood education and care - Report on Government Services 2023 | Productivity Commission

Annual release

Data

In 2022, 22.6 per cent of Health study enrolments were males. Of people enrolled in VET health study:

• 5.8 per cent of male students and 6.2 per cent of female students have a disability
• 3.5 per cent of male students and 4.4 per cent of female students identify as Indigenous
• 66.7 per cent of male students and 62.9 per cent of female students live in major cities; 1.6 per cent of male students and 1.8 per cent of female students live in remote or very remote areas
• 14.8 per cent of male students and 16.0 per cent of female students are from the most disadvantaged quintile of relative socioeconomic advantage; 18.2 per cent of male students and 16.4 per cent of female students are from the most advantaged quintile
• 14.4 per cent of male students and 13.6 per cent of female students speak a language other than English at home

In 2022, 21.1 per cent of Education study enrolments were males. Of people enrolled in VET education study:

• 5.9 per cent of male students and 6.2 per cent of female students have a disability
• 5.1 per cent of male students and 4.8 per cent of female students identify as Indigenous
• 55.4 per cent of male students and 64.0 per cent of female students live in major cities; 4.4 per cent of male students and 2.4 per cent of female students live in remote or very remote areas
• 13.4 per cent of male students and 18.4 per cent of female students are from the most disadvantaged quintile of relative socioeconomic advantage; 14.2 per cent of male students and 13.1 per cent of female students are from the most advantaged quintile
• 17.6 per cent of male students and 23.1 per cent of female students speak a language other than English at home

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Data source

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), DataBuilder

Annual release

Data

In 2022-23, there were 273,648 specialist homelessness services clients, of which 59.4 per cent were women. 

• 21.1 per cent of female clients were aged 25-34 years
• The main source of income for female clients were the Parenting payment (25.6 per cent), JobSeeker payment (23.9 per cent) and Disability support pension (12.1 per cent)
• For women the most common main reason for seeking assistance was family and domestic violence (16.3 per cent), for men it was housing crisis (11.2 per cent)
• 65.1 per cent of all young people presenting alone to services were women
• 59 per cent of female clients were in major cities, 34.3 per cent were in regional areas and 6.7 per cent were in remote and very remote areas
• 28.6 per cent of female clients were Indigenous
• 52.8 per cent of older clients seeking assistance were female
• 2.3 per cent of female clients had a disability
• 32.8 per cent of female clients had a mental health issue
• 87.2 per cent of all clients were born in Australia
• 14.7 per cent of all clients spoke a language other than English at home; 20.6 per cent of these spoke Aboriginal English

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Data source

Specialist homelessness services annual report 2022–23, Data | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Released annually

Data

In 2022-23, 78.8 per cent of adult women and 52.1 per cent of girls participated in sport at least once per week. Participation was highest for:

• Women aged 45-54 years (83.7 per cent) and lowest for women aged 18-24 years (74.3 per cent).
• Girls aged 9-11 years (66.8 per cent).
• Women living in major cities (83.2 per cent) and lowest for women in remote or very remote areas (77.4 per cent)
• Women employed full-time (85.3 per cent) and lowest for unemployed women (70.3 per cent)
• Women with a university degree or higher (87.3 per cent) and lowest for women who did not complete year 12 (71.1 per cent)
• Women in a couple or single with no children (83.3 per cent) and lowest for women with a younger family (80.7 per cent)
• Non-Indigenous women (82.6 per cent) compared to Indigenous women (72.5 per cent)
• Women who mainly speak English at home (83.6 per cent) and lowest for women who speak a non-European language at home (73.8 per cent)
• Women without a disability (84.8 per cent) compared to women with disability (70.0 per cent)
• Women with a household income above $200,000 a year (91.4 per cent) and lowest for women with a household income below $40,000 a year (75.4 per cent)

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Data source

Australian Sports Commission, AusPlay results July 2022 – June 2023 | Clearinghouse for Sport

Released annually