Almost one in five crimes involved domestic abuse

Date published: 28 November 2025

New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Police Service of Northern Ireland present domestic abuse incidents and crimes recorded by the police in Northern Ireland for the 2024/25 financial year.

Key findings

• 29,751 domestic abuse incidents were recorded in 2024/25, the eighth highest level since the data series began in 2004/05, representing a 42 per cent increase compared with 2004/05 levels.
• 18,393 domestic abuse crimes were recorded in 2024/25, the sixth highest level since the data series began. This figure is 91 per cent higher than the level recorded in 2004/05 and represents almost one in five of all crimes recorded this financial year.
• Domestic abuse crimes have fallen for two consecutive years following a peak of 22,310 in 2022/23. Similarly, domestic abuse incidents have decreased each year since 2021/22.
• Population rates stood at 15 domestic abuse incidents per 1,000 population and 10 domestic abuse crimes per 1,000 population in 2024/25.
• Violence against the person offences accounted for 79 per cent of all domestic abuse crimes in 2024/25, with sexual offences representing 6 per cent.
• One third of domestic abuse crime victims were male in 2024/25, the highest proportion in the data series, whilst females represented two thirds of victims.
• The sanction outcome rate for domestic abuse crimes was 28.1 per cent in 2024/25. Sanction outcome rates for domestic abuse crimes have been consistently lower than those for all crimes recorded by the police since 2017/18.
• Just under half (47 per cent) of domestic abuse incidents recorded in 2024/25 did not result in a crime being recorded, the fourth consecutive year this proportion has fallen below 50 per cent.

About the publication

The full report presents comprehensive statistics on domestic abuse incidents and crimes recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland between 2004/05 and 2024/25. The publication includes:

• Long-term trends in domestic abuse incidents and crimes
• Detailed breakdown by crime type, including violence against the person, sexual offences, theft, and criminal damage
• Victim characteristics including age, gender, and ethnicity
• Relationship between victims and offenders
• Sanction outcomes and outcome rates
• Geographic analysis by policing district
• Information on alcohol involvement in domestic abuse crime
• Comparison with England and Wales statistics

Further information

Read the full report: Domestic Abuse Incidents and Crimes in Northern Ireland 2004/05 to 2024/25