Data about alleged offenders proceeded against by police, including demographic, most serious offence, and family and domestic violence information
In 2024–25:
Australia’s federal, state and territory governments put restrictions in place to slow the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) from March 2020 to February 2023. The restrictions, and associated penalties for breaching these restrictions, varied across the jurisdictions. This should be considered when interpreting the Recorded Crime – Offenders data for associated reference periods.
There were 344,620 offenders proceeded against by police in Australia in 2024–25. This was a 1% increase (up 3,939 offenders) from the previous year.
(a) Rate per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over
Accounting for population change, the offender rate decreased from 1,430 offenders in 2023–24 to 1,420 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over in 2024–25, the lowest rate recorded since the time series began in 2008–09.
The most common principal offences in 2024–25 were:
Acts intended to cause injury and/or illicit drug offences have consistently been among the two most common offence types since 2012–13.
Accounting for population change, the offender rate for acts intended to cause injury increased from 387 offenders in 2023–24 to 406 offenders per 100,000 persons in 2024–25.
Illicit drug offences decreased by 663 offenders (down 1%) to 47,550 offenders in 2024–25. The offender rate for illicit drug offences also decreased, to 196 offenders per 100,000 persons. Both the offender number and rate are the lowest recorded for this principal offence since the time series began in 2008–09.
(a) Rate per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over
Offences against justice increased by 980 offenders (up 3%) to 32,081 in 2024–25. This is the highest number recorded for this offence since the time series began in 2008–09. Accounting for population change, the offender rate increased slightly from 131 offenders in 2023–24 to 132 offenders per 100,000 persons in 2024–25.
Nearly three-quarters of offenders (74%) proceeded against by police were male (255,557 offenders).
The male offender rate was around three times higher than the female offender rate with:
Acts intended to cause injury was the most common principal offence among both male offenders (28% or 72,156 offenders) and female offenders (29% or 24,954 offenders). Both male and female offenders reached the highest number recorded for this offence in the 17-year time series.
The median age of offenders has steadily increased over time, from 25 years in 2008–09 (when the time series began) to 32 years in 2024–25.
The minimum age of criminal responsibility was raised from 10 years to 12 years in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory during the 2023–24 reference period. The Northern Territory lowered it back to 10 years in October 2024. Users are advised to consider this change when making comparisons to data from earlier reference periods.
In 2024–25, there were 44,583 offenders aged between 10 and 17 years proceeded against by police, a decrease of 5% (or 2,215 offenders) from 2023–24.
Accounting for population change, the youth offender rate also decreased from 1,764 to 1,660 offenders per 100,000 persons aged between 10 and 17 years.
Around a quarter (26%) of youth offenders were proceeded against for acts intended to cause injury – the most common principal offence among youth offenders (11,609 offenders).
The number of youth offenders with a principal offence of illicit drugs decreased by 11% from the previous year to 2,473 offenders. This was the tenth consecutive annual decrease for this offence.
Accounting for population change, the youth offender rate for illicit drugs also decreased compared to the previous year, from 105 to 92 offenders per 100,000 persons aged between 10 and 17 years. This was the lowest recorded rate since the time series began in 2008–09.
(a) Rate per 100,000 persons aged between 10 and 17 years
Over two-thirds (69%) of youth offenders were male (30,840 offenders).
The male youth offender rate was more than double the rate of female youth offenders, with:
Acts intended to cause injury was the most common principal offence for males (22% or 6,779 offenders) and females (35% or 4,656 offenders).
The most common age of youth offenders was 16 years (23% or 10,245 offenders).
Across the states and territories, under a third to over two-fifths (between 30% in Victoria and 43% in the Northern Territory) of youth offenders were proceeded against by police more than once in 2024–25.
The mean number of times youth offenders were proceeded against by police was:
Data about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders is presented for selected states and territories. Based on an ABS assessment, the Indigenous status data item for other states is not of sufficient quality and/or does not meet ABS standards for national reporting in 2024–25.
Data on offenders proceeded against via penalty notices is excluded as there are a high proportion of unknown values for the Indigenous status data item for this proceeding type. Therefore, offender counts and rates presented in this publication do not include all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders proceeded against by police.
In New South Wales, offenders with a principal offence of fare evasion are excluded from 2022–23 onwards due to a high proportion of unknown values.
In 2024–25, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders proceeded against by police was:
The most common principal offence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders was acts intended to cause injury:
Most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders were male:
The median age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders was:
The mean number of times Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders were proceeded against by police in 2024–25 was:
Due to quality and/or comparability issues, data is not presented for:
The total number of police proceedings recorded in 2024–25 were:
The number of police proceedings increased in:
Police proceedings decreased in New South Wales (down 3% or 6,464 proceedings) and Queensland (down 2% or 3,146 proceedings).
The most common principal offences for police proceedings were:
The majority of police proceedings were court actions in all published states and territories:
The most common principal offences for court proceedings were:
The most common principal offences for non-court proceedings were:
Caution should be exercised when making comparisons across states and territories, as there are differences in definitions as well as other factors. See the methodology for more information.
There were 97,800 offenders proceeded against by police for at least one family and domestic violence (FDV) related offence in 2024–25, up 7,103 offenders (or 8%) from 2023–24. Over a quarter (28%) of all offenders recorded nationally had at least one FDV offence.
The offender rate was 403 FDV offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over. This is the highest FDV offender rate recorded since the start of the national time series in 2019–20.
(a) Rate per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over
Almost four in five (78%) FDV offenders were male (76,000 offenders).
The rate of FDV offending was almost four times higher for males than for females, with:
The median age of FDV offenders was 35 years in 2024–25, higher than the median age for total offenders (32 years).
The most common age groups for FDV offenders were between:
The most common principal FDV offences were:
There were 49,944 offenders (51% of all FDV offenders) proceeded against by police for at least one breach of an FDV related violence or non-violence order in Australia in 2024–25, an increase of 6% from the previous year.
Of these:
Across the states and territories, the number of offenders proceeded against for at least one breach of an FDV related violence or non-violence order was:
There were 114,242 offenders proceeded against by police in New South Wales in 2024–25, a decrease of 1% from the previous year.
Accounting for population change, the overall offender rate in New South Wales also decreased from 1,556 offenders in 2023–24 to 1,509 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over in 2024–25.
The most common principal offences in New South Wales were:
Almost three-quarters (74%) of offenders in New South Wales were male (84,356 offenders).
The male offender rate was more than three times the female offender rate with:
There were 17,086 offenders aged between 10 and 17 years proceeded against by police in 2024–25, a decrease of 6% (or 1,099 offenders) from the previous year. Youth offenders comprised 15% of total offenders in New South Wales in 2024–25.
The offender rate was higher among youth when compared with the total New South Wales population with:
The most common principal offences for youth offenders were:
There were 20,700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders proceeded against by police in New South Wales during 2024–25.
More than half (57%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders had a principal offence of acts intended to cause injury (11,770 offenders).
In 2024–25 there were 197,902 police proceedings in New South Wales. Of these:
Over a third (39%) of court actions were for acts intended to cause injury with 46,056 proceedings.
Over half (57%) of non-court actions were for fare evasion with 45,865 proceedings. Proceedings for fare evasion have decreased every year since 2016–17, except for 2022–23.
There were 59,693 offenders proceeded against by police in Victoria in 2024–25, a decrease of 3% from the previous year.
Accounting for population change, the offender rate in Victoria also decreased from 1,008 offenders in 2023–24 to 962 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over in 2024–25.
The most common principal offences in Victoria were:
Just over three-quarters (78%) of offenders in Victoria were male (46,235 offenders).
The male offender rate was more than three times the female offender rate with:
There were 7,644 offenders aged between 10 and 17 years proceeded against by police in 2024–25, a decrease of 6% from the previous year. Youth offenders comprised 13% of total offenders in Victoria in 2024–25.
The offender rate was higher among youth when compared with the total Victorian population with:
(a) Rate per 100,000 persons aged between 10 and 17 years
(b) Rate per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over
The most common principal offences for youth offenders were:
In 2024–25, there were 114,432 police proceedings in Victoria, an increase of 10% from 2023–24 (up 10,445 proceedings).
Most proceedings (81%) were court actions (92,208 proceedings). The most common principal offences for court actions were:
There were 78,079 offenders proceeded against by police in Queensland in 2024–25. This was down 3% from the previous year.
The offender rate decreased from 1,645 offenders in 2023–24 to 1,569 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over in 2024–25.
The most common principal offences in Queensland were:
The number of offenders of illicit drug offences increased by 4% (542 offenders) between 2023–24 and 2024–25.
Almost three-quarters (74%) of offenders in Queensland were male (57,539 offenders).
The male offender rate was nearly three times the female offender rate with:
There were 9,599 offenders aged between 10 and 17 years in Queensland in 2024–25, a decrease of 9% (945 offenders) from 2023–24. Youth offenders comprised 12% of total offenders in Queensland in 2024–25.
Accounting for population change, the youth offender rate also decreased from 1,828 offenders in 2023–24 to 1,651 offenders per 100,000 persons aged between 10 and 17 years in 2024–25.
The most common principal offences among youth offenders were:
There were 16,716 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders proceeded against by police in Queensland in 2024–25. This was a decrease of 1% from the previous year (213 offenders).
Accounting for population change, the offender rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders decreased from 7,499 offenders in 2023–24 to 7,238 offenders per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons aged 10 years and over in 2024–25, the eighth consecutive decrease.
(a) Rate per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons aged 10 years and over
The most common principal offence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders was acts intended to cause injury with 4,708 offenders (28%).
In 2024–25, there were 146,690 police proceedings in Queensland, a decrease of 2% from 2023–24 (down 3,146 proceedings).
Most proceedings (72%) were court actions (106,236 proceedings). The most common court actions were for offenders with a principal offence of:
There were 40,458 non-court actions in 2024–25. Over two in five (41%) non-court actions were for illicit drug offences (16,536 proceedings).
There were 27,736 offenders proceeded against by police in South Australia in 2024–25, an increase of 12% from the previous year.
After accounting for population growth, the overall offender rate in South Australia also increased from 1,487 offenders in 2023–24 to 1,641 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over in 2024–25.
The most common principal offences in South Australia were:
Just under three-quarters (74%) of offenders in South Australia were male (20,620 offenders).
The male offender rate was more than three times the female offender rate with:
There were 2,106 offenders aged between 10 and 17 years proceeded against by police in 2024–25, an increase of 16% (294 offenders) from the previous year. Youth offenders comprised 8% of total offenders in South Australia in 2024–25.
The offender rate was lower among youth when compared with the total South Australian population with:
The most common principal offences for youth offenders were:
In 2024–25 South Australia had 44,978 police proceedings, an increase of 20% from 2023–24 (7,361 proceedings).
Most proceedings (64%) were court actions (28,896 proceedings). The most common principal offences for court actions were:
There were 42,607 offenders proceeded against by police in Western Australia in 2024–25, an increase of 8% from the previous year. This was the highest number of offenders recorded in Western Australia since 2009–10.
Accounting for population change, the offender rate also increased from 1,527 offenders in 2023–24 to 1,604 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over in 2024–25.
(a) Rate per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over
Around a quarter (26%) of offenders in Western Australia had a principal offence of acts intended to cause injury, which reached the highest number recorded in the time series (11,232 offenders).
The next most common principal offences were:
The following offences reached the highest number of offenders recorded in the 17-year time series:
Almost three-quarters (72%) of offenders in Western Australia were male (30,529 offenders).
The male offender rate was over two and a half times the female offender rate with:
There were 5,856 offenders aged between 10 and 17 years in 2024–25, a decrease from the previous year of 2% (down 100 offenders). Youth offenders comprised 14% of total offenders in Western Australia.
Accounting for population change, the youth offender rate was higher than the total offender rate, with:
The most common principal offences for youth offenders in Western Australia were:
There were 8,077 offenders proceeded against by police in Tasmania in 2024–25, an increase of 6% from the previous year.
After accounting for population growth, the overall offender rate in Tasmania increased from 1,482 offenders in 2023–24 to 1,564 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over in 2024–25.
The most common principal offences in Tasmania were:
Just under three-quarters (73%) of offenders in Tasmania were male (5,898 offenders).
The male offender rate was almost three times the female offender rate with:
There were 1,018 offenders aged between 10 and 17 years proceeded against by police in 2024–25, up 6 offenders from 2023–24. Youth offenders comprised 13% of total offenders in Tasmania in 2024–25.
The offender rate was higher among Tasmanian youth when compared with the total offender population with:
The most common principal offences for youth offenders were:
In 2024–25 Tasmania had 15,332 police proceedings, an increase of 10% from 2023–24 (up 1,448 proceedings).
Most proceedings (85%) were court actions (12,989 proceedings).
The most common principal offences for court actions were:
A new crime recording system was introduced in the Northern Territory in November 2023. As a result, data for the 2023–24 financial year and subsequent periods are not fully comparable with data from earlier financial years.
As of 17 October 2024, the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the Northern Territory was lowered from 12 years to 10 years.
In 2024–25, there were 11,524 offenders proceeded against by police in the Northern Territory.
The offender rate was 5,080 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over in 2024–25.
The most common principal offences in the Northern Territory were:
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of offenders in the Northern Territory were male (8,286 offenders).
The male offender rate was almost two and a half times the rate of female offenders, with:
There were 946 offenders aged between 10 and 17 years in the Northern Territory in 2024–25. Youth offenders comprised 8% of total offenders proceeded against in the Northern Territory.
The most common principal offences for youth offenders were:
The youth offender rate of 3,430 youth offenders per 100,000 individuals aged 10 to 17 years, remained below the total offender rate of 5,080 offender per 100,000 individuals aged 10 years and over.
There were 7,270 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders proceeded against by police in the Northern Territory in 2024–25. The offender rate was 11,198 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders per 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons aged 10 years and over.
Almost three in five (58%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders had a principal offence of acts intended to cause injury (4,221 offenders).
In 2024–25, there were 16,261 police proceedings in the Northern Territory.
The most common principal offences were:
As of 22 November 2023, the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the Australian Capital Territory was raised from 10 years to 12 years. Users are advised to consider this change when making comparisons to data from earlier reference periods.
There were 2,658 offenders proceeded against by police in the Australian Capital Territory in 2024–25, an increase of 5% from the previous year.
The offender rate increased from 612 offenders to 622 offenders per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over.
The most common principal offence in the Australian Capital Territory was acts intended to cause injury, which reached the highest number recorded in the time series, with 971 offenders (37%).
For sexual assault and related offences, the number of offenders increased by 21 offenders (or 16%) to 156 offenders. This was also the highest recorded number in the time series. The rate of offenders was also at the highest in the time series, with 37 offenders per 100,000 persons.
Nearly four-fifths (79%) of all offenders in the Australian Capital Territory were male (2,089 offenders).
The male offender rate was over three and a half times the female offender rate with:
For males, the following offences reached the highest number of offenders recorded in the 17-year time series:
Female offenders with the principal offence of acts intended to cause injury have reached the highest number in the time series with 249 offenders.
There were 325 offenders aged between 12 and 17 years in 2024–25, comprising 12% of total offenders in the Australian Capital Territory. The number of youth offenders decreased by 19 offenders from the previous year.
The offender rate was higher among youth when compared with the total Australian Capital Territory offender population with:
The most common principal offence for youth offenders was acts intended to cause injury, accounting for 43% of all youth offenders (140 offenders).
There were 436 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders in the Australian Capital Territory in 2024–25, up 52 offenders from the previous year.
More than two-fifths (43%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders had a principal offence of acts intended to cause injury (187 offenders).
There were 3,767 police proceedings in the Australian Capital Territory in 2024–25. The majority (86%) were court actions (3,241 proceedings).
One third of court actions in 2024–25 were for the principal offence of acts intended to cause injury (33% or 1,065 proceedings).
All Recorded Crime – Offenders, 2024–25 download files.
This release previously used catalogue number 4519.0.
Alleged offenders who have been proceeded against by police during the reference period. Criminal offences where police agencies have the authority to take legal action against an individual are included, with some exclusions.
Data available for:
Administrative records created and maintained by the state and territory police agencies.
Administrative data collected annually from state and territory police agencies.
Classifications used to compile the data:
Not applicable for this release.