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Statistics and Research Statistics on Male Victims of Domestic Abuse

Statistics on Male Victims of Domestic Abuse

Statistics

Below are statistics on male victims of domestic abuse. Please also consult the research page.

The Office for National Statistics has up to date redeveloped statistics for 2023/24 and these should be used (see listings below).

The Office for National Statistics also produced combined figures including sexual abuse, domestic abuse and stalking  for 2024/25 (5.1 million people – 3.2m women (12.8%) and 2m men (8.4%)).

If there is a statistic you are looking for but cannot find it, please contact chairman@mankind.org.uk

Summary/Overarching Statistics (Up to Date)

  • One in five men (21.7%) said they have been a victim of domestic abuse in their lifetime (5.1 million). They consist of 41% of all victims. (ONS) (2023/24)
  • One in fifteen men (6.5%) said they were a victim of domestic abuse in 2023/24 (1.5 million men). They consist of 40% of all victims. (ONS) (2023/24)
  • One in five to six men (18.3%) have been a victim of partner abuse in their lifetime (4.3 million). They consist of 40% of all victims. (ONS) (2023/24)
  • One in twenty men (4.7%) said they were a victim of partner/ex-partner abuse in 2023/24 (1.1 million men). They consist of 39% of all victims. (ONS)
  • One in fourteen men (6.9%) have been a victim of family abuse in their lifetime (1.6 million). They consist of 39% of all victims. (ONS) (2023/24)
  • One in thirty eight (2.6%) said they were a victim of family abuse in 2023/24 (608,000) . They consist of 42% of all victims. (ONS) (2023/24)
  • Of domestic abuse crimes recorded by the police, 27% were committed against men (ManKind Initiative).
  • Only 4.8% of victims of domestic abuse being supporting by local domestic services are men according to SafeLives data. This highlights how few men are being supported for local domestic abuse services (ONS 2022/23).
  • 58.9% of the men who call the ManKind Initiative helpline have never spoken to anyone before about the abuse they are suffering and 64% would not have called if the helpline was not anonymous (ManKind Initiative). 98% of the men who call are undergoing psychological abuse, 82% coercive controlling behaviour, 69% physical abuse and 29% economic abuse. (ManKind Initiative)
  • Currently in the UK (February 2025) there are 60 organisations with 436 refuge or safe accommodation spaces available for men (128 are dedicated for men and 308 for men or women). These figures are hugely skewed by one organisation with 46 dedicated spaces. If these were removed, the spaces would be 59 organisations with 390 places (82 dedicated). The median number per organisation is 5 spaces. (ManKind Initiative).
  • 21% of male victims (2022/23) fail to tell anyone they are a victim of partner abuse – which is big improvement as previously it was 49% in 2017/18. The figures for female victims are 18.2% (2022/23) and 19% (2017/18). (ONS 2022/23).
  • 6.5% of male victims (2.8% women) have considered taking their life due to partner abuse in 2022/23. The charity has seen an increase in calls regarding suicide ideation over the pandemic period and beyond. (ONS 2022/23).
  • The ManKind Initiative estimates that between 3-5 men every week die by suicide due to domestic abuse.
  • In 2023/24, 8 men died at the hands of their partner or ex-partner compared to 58 women. Over ten years, 120 men have been killed in by a partner/ex-partner compared to 699 women (ONS 2023/24). Of the 40 men killed in domestic homicides involving a partner of ex-partner between April 2020 and March 2023, 33 were by women and 7 by men.

Office for National Statistics: Key Document Page (latest up until end of March 24)

Male Victims of Stalking (2023/24)

  • 2 million men have been a victim of stalking in their lifetime (8.7% men – one in 11 men  – 30% of all victims)
  • 540,000 men were victims of stalking in 2023/24 (2.3% men – one in 43 men – 35% of all victims)
  • 528,000 men have been a victim of stalking in their lifetime by a current or ex-partner (2.2% of men – one in 45 men – 21% of all victims)
  • 89,000 men were victims of stalking by partner/ex-partner in 2023/24 (0.4% of men – one in 250 – 28% of all victims)
  • 234,000 men have been a victim of stalking in their lifetime by a family member (1.2% of all men – one in 83 men – 23% of all victims)
  • 42,000 men were victims of stalking by a family members in 2023/24 (0.2% of all men – one in 500 men – 30% of all victims)
  • 878,000 men have been a victim of cyber stalking in their lifetime (3.7% men – one in 27 men – 34% of all victims)
  • 180,000 men were victims of cyber stalking in 2023/24 (0.8% of men – one man in 125 – 28% of all victims)

Office for National Statistics source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/stalkingfindingsfromthecrimesurveyforenglandandwales

Other key stats

Summary-Police-Reporting-2021-2024 – numbers of male and female victims reporting to police forces

Convictions of Domestic Abuse by gender (2004/05 – 2021/22) – new

Domestic Abuse Homicides (2007 – 08 to 2021 – 22) Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (“Clare’s Law”) update  – coming soon

Male Victims of Domestic Abuse and Partner Abuse:Briefing on Gender and Sexuality of Perpetrators (The Gender of their Perpetrators is Overwhelmingly Female)

Successful complaint to Office for Statistics Regulation about the Home Office use in the Statutory Guidance (Domestic Abuse Bill / Act) of the word “vast” to describe the difference in the numbers of women and men perpetrating domestic abuse. The Statutory Guidance stated “Domestic abuse most commonly takes place in intimate partner relationships. The vast majority is perpetrated by men against women…” The Office for Statistics Regulation decision was to support the ManKind Initiative complaint and therefore not allow the Home Office to use the word in the description.

Media Coverage of male victims of domestic abuse including cases and examples

Media Coverage of Male Victims of Domestic Abuse (2007 to 06 June 2024)

———————————————————————————————————————————————–Archive (preserved to protect links)

Office for National Statistics (England and Wales) / Scotland:

 The key ONS reports can be found on this page called Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview: November 2020:

These reports include:

Domestic abuse prevalence and trends, England and Wales: year ending March 2019: Report –  and Data –

Domestic abuse victim characteristics, England and Wales: year ending March 2019: Report  –and Data –

Partner abuse in detail, England and Wales: year ending March 2018: Report  –and Data –

The nature of violent crime in England and Wales: year ending March 2018 (published February 2019)

Intimate (ex) Partner Homicides: Men (to 2015/16) – old

Convictions of Domestic Abuse (2004/05 – 2017/18) – old

Domestic abuse: findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales: year ending March 2018 (published November 2018)

Domestic abuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2018 – charity, police and other data (published November 2018)

Datatools (published November 2018)

Scotland Domestic Abuse Survey (November 2018)

Key Document: 70 Key Facts and Statistics about Male Victims of Domestic Abuse and Partner Abuse (June 2023)

70 Key Facts and Statistics about Male Victims of Domestic Abuse and Partner Abuse (April 2023)

55 Key Facts about Male Victims of Domestic Abuse and Partner Abuse (April 2021)

50 Key Facts about Male Victims of Domestic Abuse and Partner Abuse (March 2020)

Convictions of Domestic Violence perpetrators (2004 -2014) – old

Convictions for Domestic Abuse – (2004/05 to 2016/17) – old

Focus on violent crime and sexual offences, England and Wales: year ending Mar 2016 (published on 9 February 2017) and  (published 8 February 2018) for year ending Mar 2017

Convictions of Domestic Abuse (2004/05 – 2018/19) – new

Domestic Abuse Homicides (2007 – 08 to 2018 – 19)– new