Just 3% of partner-abuse victims say police were told
Only 3% of people who experienced abuse by a current or former partner in Sweden during 2025 say that any of it was reported to police, a national survey shows.
The Brå report, published on Thursday, draws on the 2026 National Safety Survey and covers psychological, physical, sexual, material and economic abuse. Overall, 9.4% of people aged 16–84 reported experiencing at least one of these forms during the year.
Psychological abuse was the most common, particularly insults, humiliation and controlling behaviour. Physical and sexual abuse were more likely to reach police than psychological abuse.
Young women were especially exposed: 16.2% of women aged 20–24 reported abuse. Women who described themselves as having a disability also reported greater exposure than women without one, at 16.3% compared with 9.2%.
The overall figure was lower than the 13.6% recorded for 2022. Brå cautions that there have been only two comparable surveys, so the results cannot yet establish a trend.
The survey also found that 16.2% of affected people sought support or help, most commonly from a psychologist or therapist, followed by social services. Most who sought help said they received it.
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