Shelters for Victims of Domestic Violence 2024

More clients in shelters than ever before

In 2024, a total of 5,801 clients used the services of shelters for victims of domestic violence (Figure 1). Of these, 58 per cent were adults and 42 per cent were children. Of the adults, 91 per cent were female and nine per cent were male.

Client numbers at shelters rose by eight per cent compared to 2023. The number of both female adult clients and child clients increased by nine per cent. The number of male clients decreased by seven per cent from 2023.

In 2024, clients spent a total of 104,802 days in the shelters, which is 3,018 (+3 %) days more than in 2023.

In 2024, the utilisation rate of shelters was 68 per cent. A total of 1,318 persons were referred from one shelter to another due to lack of space. Clients from Southwest Finland had to be referred to a shelter in another wellbeing services county more often than from other areas in which only one shelter operates.

A shelter is a 24-hour crisis work unit that is free of charge for the client. A person or family experiencing domestic violence or the threat of domestic violence can go to the shelter on their own initia-tive or under the guidance of an authority or another party, also anonymously if necessary.

Download the full statistical report

Client numbers at shelters for victims of domestic violence 2019–2024.

Tables

Background information

Previous statistical report (2023 in English)

Description of statistics

The statistic contains national data on the clients of shelters for victims of domestic abuse, such as the days of residence, clients' background information as well as information related to the violence experienced by the clients. Generally used national classifications are utilised for the client documents and thus also in the classifications included in the summary form used for data collection.

The data is collected with an electronic form from all the shelter service providers, it is presented at the national level, and no information specific to any individual shelter will be published. Data collection started in 2016.

The statistics are published annually in June.