Abuse by an intimate partner drove the reported rise in England and Wales. The estimates will be the main measure for tracking the government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls.
The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that 9.6% of adults aged 16 and over in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2026—about 4.7 million people, the Guardian reported. ONS assesses that the increase includes real change, although survey changes and uncertainty are likely to have affected the estimates.
The Guardian compares the result with the same survey’s estimate for the year ending September 2025. The rise was driven by a significant increase in abuse by an intimate partner; there was no significant change in abuse by family members.
| Survey period | Share affected | Estimated people |
|---|---|---|
| Year ending September 2025 | 7.8% | About 3.8 million |
| Year ending March 2026 | 9.6% | About 4.7 million |
The Crime Survey for England and Wales is a face-to-face household survey based on more than 30,000 adult interviews each year. Its annual figures are released by financial year, with these estimates covering the year ending March 2026.
Meghan Elkin, the ONS head of crime statistics, said minor survey changes and the usual uncertainty involved in collecting information on this sensitive subject were likely to have affected the estimates. She said more data points were needed to understand that uncertainty and the trend in domestic abuse.
The first National Security Strategy in two decades commits to deeper European cooperation as Canada and the European Union discuss closer ties.
2 min
The survey also measured sexual victimisation and stalking using new questions. Those estimates are not comparable with previous estimates and do not establish a rise or fall in either category.
| Measure | Share of adults aged 16 and over | Estimated people |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual victimisation | 2.1% | About 1 million |
| Stalking | 3.9% | About 1.9 million |
The statistics will be the main measure for monitoring the UK government’s ambition to halve violence against women and girls. Alice Russell-Harris, Refuge’s public affairs lead, said the government had pledged to reach that target by 2034.
Russell-Harris expressed concern that the government was not on track, while acknowledging that changes in data collection might have contributed to the reported increase. She argued that the target could not be achieved without sustainable, long-term funding for specialist domestic-abuse services, and said financial commitments had not matched the scale needed for survivors to receive timely support.
Ahead of next week’s autumn budget, Russell-Harris called on the government to invest in those services to meet rising demand.
Ukraine’s ombudsman plans food and medical aid for about 2,000 people in the Russian-occupied city on October 30, with mine clearance still under way.
3 min
The change applies across pension schemes from 28 October 2026. Where the member died before 75 and had enough remaining allowance, delays beyond two years no longer make lump sums taxable.
4 min
