This report examines the economic costs of sexual violence in Australia, with the aim of making visible the full, long-term impacts across individuals, communities and government systems. Using a lifetime and systems-based approach, it shows that the greatest costs arise not from immediate responses but from the compounding effects of untreated trauma, chronic health conditions, reduced workforce participation, and sustained demand on health, justice, and social services. 

The report outlines the prevalence of sexual violence in Australia. In 2021–22, there were an estimated 150,000 cases of sexual abuse towards children and a further 114,000 cases of adult sexual assault costing an estimated $7.5 billion and a further $6.6 billion over the life course to individuals and governments.

The findings highlight how fragmented funding and short budget horizons obscure the economic costs and weaken incentives for prevention. The report recommends reframing prevention and early intervention as core economic investments, embedding long-term cost frameworks in policy appraisal, strengthening trauma-informed service pathways and improving cross-agency coordination to reduce downstream harm and expenditure.