Economic cost of violence against women and their children 

4.1 Summary of findings

Table 8 summarises costs in 2021-22 for domestic violence against women and their children resulting from pain, suffering and premature mortality without intervention. Further details of the method for calculating cost estimates are in Appendix A.

Without the Plan of Action interventions, the cost of pain, suffering and premature mortality is estimated at $3.9 billion in 2021-22. For every woman whose experience of violence is prevented as a result of the Plan of Action intervention, $10,073 in pain, suffering and premature mortality costs can be avoided. This equates to $388 million in reduced costs if levels of violence could be reduced by just 10 per cent by 2021-22.

4.2 Category description

This category includes the less tangible costs of pain, suffering and premature death associated with domestic violence. The non-financial Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) approach⁴¹ is used to measure the years of life lost due to premature mortality and years of healthy life lost through pain and suffering. DALYs are then converted to a dollar figure by assigning a value to a statistical life year. Access Economics estimated the cost of pain, suffering and premature death was $3.5 billion in 2002-03⁴².

4.3 Cost and stakeholder breakdown

Table 9 summarises the cost of pain, suffering and premature death associated with victims/survivors of domestic violence.

Without appropriate action to address violence against women and their children, the cost of pain, suffering and premature death could reach over $3.8 billion in 2021-22. The main contributor to these costs (assuming no change in cost composition) is likely to be depression at 29 per cent of total costs, followed by anxiety at 23 per cent and suicide at 12 per cent.

Table 10 summarises who will bear the cost of pain, suffering and premature death associated with domestic violence.

Without appropriate action to address violence against women and their children, the cost of pain, suffering and premature death in 2021-22 will be borne primarily by the victims/survivors at almost $3.7 billion (94 per cent). Children will also bear considerable costs of $211 million (5 per cent), followed by perpetrators at $4 million (0.2 per cent).

4.4 Plan of Action priorities

The Plan of Action advocates a range of actions designed to reduce the costs of pain, suffering and premature death as a result of violence against women. For example, the Plan of Action advocates the establishment of homicide/fatality review processes in each jurisdiction to review deaths that result from violence against women and their children.

If the review processes were established and review findings incorporated into ways of addressing violence against women and their children, $10,073 could be saved in costs associated with pain, suffering and premature death for every woman whose experience of violence is prevented.

40. All figures are in 2007-08 dollars.
41. The DALY approach was developed by the World Health Organisation, World Bank and Harvard University. Further information on the methodology.
42. Access Economics, The Cost of Domestic Violence to the Australian Economy: Part I and Access Economics, The Cost of Domestic Violence to the Australian Economy: Part II, 2004, viewed December 2008. p. 30.
43. All figures are in 2007-08 dollars.
44. This figure excludes health and productivity costs which are captured in other cost categories.
45. All figures are in 2007-08 dollars.
46. Totals for victims, perpetrators and children are net of respective costs associated with health and productivity.