Most often, homicide victims in Australia are males, frequently young to middle-aged (18-44), often killed by someone they know (like a friend, acquaintance, or family member), though females are disproportionately victims of intimate partner homicides, and First Nations people experience significantly higher rates of victimisation.
We have broken down who is most likely to be a victim of crime and what the figures say:
The homicide rate was highest in the Northern Territory at 2.81 per 100,000, followed by the Australian Capital Territory at 1.32 per 100,000 (see Table 1). The lowest homicide rate in 2020–21 was recorded in South Australia (0.61 per 100,000).
Sociodemographic factors and impacts
Domestic violence can affect anyone in the community irrespective of age, sex, race, religion, culture, physical conditions or income status. Women, children and elderly people, however, are at greater risk.
Women are most likely to be in an abusive relationship in their twenties – specifically ages 18 to 34.
Personal Safety, Australia
An estimated 8 million Australians (41%) have experienced violence (physical and/or sexual) since the age of 15, including: 31% of women and 42% of men who have experienced physical violence. 22% of women and 6.1% of men who have experienced sexual violence.
Which state in Australia has the lowest crime rate? Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory are considered among the safest because of crime rates below the national average.
Rockhampton. Rockhampton is the most dangerous city in Australia. According to the reports, it has a crime index of 67.2, which is one of the major contributors to the country's higher rate. It has a crime rate of 132 per 1000 people, with most of the cases for theft, burglary, and assault.
What Are the Top 10 Most Dangerous States in 2023?
The majority (73%) of family violence victims are female. Females were 84% of spousal abuse victims and 86% of abuse victims at the hands of a boyfriend. Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew. Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk for intimate partner violence.
Both men and women can be victims and perpetrators of physical and sexual violence. However, the statistics tell us that these experiences are clearly gendered. Men are more likely, overall, to be victims of physical violence.
Victims of violent crime are more likely to be low-income, young (especially under 30), and Latino or African American .
The most significantly underreported crime in Australia is sexual assault and sexual violence, with vast discrepancies between survey data (revealing millions of incidents) and police-recorded statistics (showing far fewer reports) due to high fear, shame, and perceived lack of support, making it a hidden epidemic despite increasing awareness. Domestic and family violence is also highly underreported, often linked to power dynamics and fear, while child sexual abuse remains a critical hidden issue.
Dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) is now Australia's leading cause of death overall, closely followed by ischaemic heart disease, with the gap narrowing as the population ages; however, coronary heart disease remains the top killer for males, while dementia leads for females. Other major causes include cerebrovascular disease (stroke), lung cancer, and chronic lower respiratory diseases (COPD).
Haiti tops the global ranking, reflecting a Caribbean crisis, with Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia close behind. By contrast, Jamaica (–15%) and Ecuador (–18%) recorded sharp reductions in 2024 after years of rising violence.
Mungallala Methodist Church was built in 1964. It has now closed. In 2016, the Australian Taxation Office listed Mungallala as having the lowest mean taxable income by postcode, making it the poorest town in Australia, which led the ABC to do a documentary on the town for their online "storyhunters" program.
According to the latest National Homicide Monitoring Program report (July 2024 – June 2025), Australia saw a total of 277 homicides. Queensland had the highest number, with 111 victims, and Victoria wasn't far behind with 88 victims.
Homicide rate: Australia's homicide rate hovers around 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to the U.S. rate of approximately 6 per 100,000. Property crime: Both countries experience property crime, but Australia's rates are generally lower, and violent property crimes (like armed burglary) are less common.
But despite the economic uptick of recent years, Tasmania is still the poorest Australian state.
Hobart, Tasmania, is widely recognized as the cheapest major city, but smaller regional towns in Queensland and South Australia can offer even lower living costs.
Iceland is consistently ranked as the #1 safest country in the world by the Global Peace Index (GPI), a position it has held for over a decade due to extremely low crime, no standing army, high social cohesion, and minimal conflict, though some other reports might place Switzerland or the Netherlands first based on different survey criteria.
Key findings. 1 in 4 (23% or 2.3 million) women and 1 in 14 (7.3% or 693,000) men have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15. 23% (2.3 million) of women and 14% (1.3 million) of men have experienced emotional abuse by a current or previous partner.
There is no limit to the amount of physical currency that may be brought into or taken out of Australia. However, travellers entering and departing Australia must report any currency they are carrying of $10,000 or more in Australian dollars, or the foreign currency equivalent.
Black women experience domestic violence at a rate 35% higher than White women. They are also more likely to be killed by their intimate partner. 40% of Black men have experienced some form of intimate partner violence. Between 21% and 55% of Asian and Pacific Islander women have experienced domestic violence.