Young adults report the highest levels of partner violence, Brå finds

A new report from the Swedish Crime Prevention Council (Brå) finds that young people report intimate partner violence more often than older people, SVT reports. The highest share was among people aged 20 to 24, with 16.4 per cent saying they had experienced such violence in a 2025 survey.

Across all respondents, 9.4 per cent said they had been subjected to some form of violence by a partner. Brå investigator Anna Frenzel said young people may have less experience of relationships and setting boundaries. She cautioned that it is too early to draw conclusions about patterns over time, as the survey has only been conducted twice.

Psychological violence was the most commonly reported form among both younger and older respondents. It can include insults, humiliation or controlling behaviour. Women reported higher levels than men in most categories, although reports of economic violence were slightly higher among men.

Only 3 per cent of respondents who said they had experienced violence by a partner reported it to police. The low reporting rate was found across all groups surveyed.

About 45,000 people answered questions about intimate partner violence as part of Brå’s survey of crime victimisation. Overall, 8.6 per cent reported psychological violence, 1.5 per cent sexual violence, 1.3 per cent physical violence, 1.2 per cent material violence and 1 per cent economic violence. Material violence means a partner has damaged or destroyed the respondent’s belongings.