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

In 2022: 

• 15-17 years: 60 per cent of women, 25 per cent of men
• 18-29 years: 56 per cent of women, 35 per cent of men
• 30-39 years: 45 per cent of women, 32 per cent of men
• 40-49 years: 34 per cent of women, 22 per cent of men
• 50-64 years: 27 per cent of women, 19 per cent of men
• 65+ years: 36 per cent of women, 12 per cent of men.

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Data source

Time for respect: fifth national survey on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces | Australian Human Rights Commission

Irregular release