Nearly 10 per cent of adults across England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the year to March 2026, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, The Guardian reports.
The Office for National Statistics put the figure at 9.6 per cent of people aged 16 and over, roughly 4.7 million, up from 7.8 per cent a year earlier. Abuse by partners drove most of the rise, while abuse by other family members was broadly unchanged. Women were more likely to be affected, though nearly 9 per cent of men also reported abuse.
The ONS said survey changes may have influenced the estimate but judged that part of the increase was real. The survey is now the main measure of the government's aim to halve violence against women and girls by 2034, and the charity Refuge said the figures suggested that target was off track.
Source: The Guardian
