Responding to the latest ONS domestic abuse data, Alice Russell-Harris, Public Affairs Lead at Refuge, said:
“The Government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) by 2034, but latest domestic abuse data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) tells a troubling story. With 9.6% of people aged 16 and over – approximately 4.7 million – having experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2026, this figure reflects what we sadly know to be true at Refuge: domestic abuse is devastating an unacceptable number of lives.
“Domestic abuse often goes unseen and unreported, so these figures likely represent the tip of the iceberg. Worryingly, the ONS data also reveals that domestic abuse has increased compared to the year ending March 2025, when 7.8% of people were reported to have experienced abuse. Of the 9.6%, the data notes a particular rise in intimate partner abuse (7.9%) compared to previous year (6.1%), which it attributes as the key driver of the overall increase.
“While ONS has highlighted that changes in data collection, such as the introduction and implementation of new survey questions, may have contributed to this increase, what remains steadfast is our concern that the Government is not on track to fulfil its pledge. Refuge has been clear that this ambitious goal is simply not achievable without sustainable, long-term funding for specialist domestic abuse services, but we have yet to see a financial commitment that matches the scale needed for every survivor to access timely support.
“Ahead of next week’s Autumn Budget, we urge the Government to provide the vital investment required to meet rising demand. Specialist support services, and the survivors which depend on them, cannot afford to bear the brunt of underfunding any longer.”
