Assaults rising at shocking rate across Australia

The data shows an eight per cent increase on the previous year, according to figures released on February 8 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

"This was the highest number recorded in the 15 years since this report began," ABS' William Milne said.

Most of these offenders faced court for assault, he said.

All states and territories recorded an increase in acts intended to cause injury when comparing 2021 to 2022 figures against those from 2022 to 2023.

These crimes were defined as "acts, excluding attempted murder and those resulting in death, which are intended to cause non-fatal injury or harm to another person and where there is no sexual or acquisitive element".

NSW experienced the largest surge in these assaults over the period with an extra 3,295 offenders arrested compared to the previous year. This was an increase of nine per cent.

Queensland's offending rose by 11 per cent with 1,428 additional people charged with the crime compared to the previous year.

Western Australia also experienced an increase of 13 per cent with an extra 945 people arrested for the crime.

In the ACT acts intended to cause injury accounted for 35 per cent of offenders with 902 people charged in 2022 to 2023.

Men were responsible for 75 per cent of Australia's acts intending to cause injury crimes particularly those aged between 25 and 34-years-old.

ABS noted that states and territories enforced COVID-19 restrictions from March 2020 to as late as February 2023 and these laws and penalties could have affected the rates of offending.