Victoria had the lowest rate of young people in detention in 2022–23 at 5.7 per 10,000 young people, down from 6.4 in 2021–22. This is almost half the rate of 10.8 in Tasmania, the jurisdiction with the next lowest rate. The Northern Territory had the highest rate at 102.4 per 10,000 young people.
The number of young people aged 10 to 17 in detention in Victoria decreased from 397 in 2021–22 to 364 in 2022–23. At the same time, the number in Australia increased from 4,120 to 4,393.
Note: The data in the graph includes people aged 10 to 17 detained in a youth (juvenile) detention facility as opposed to an adult custodial facility. Data in the graph is based on the count of unique persons in detention at any time during the year.
Detention rates per 10,000 young people aged 10 to 17 in youth detention facilities in each Australian state and territory
Hover over a bar in the graph to display the detention rate and the number of young people in detention for each state and territory. The vertical line shows the national rate.
| Jurisdiction | Number | Rate per 10,000 young people aged 10 to 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Territory | 273 | 102.4 |
| Western Australia | 801 | 27.9 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 109 | 25.2 |
| Queensland | 1,070 | 18.9 |
| South Australia | 313 | 18.1 |
| New South Wales | 1,404 | 17.3 |
| Tasmania | 58 | 10.8 |
| Victoria | 364 | 5.7 |
| Australia | 4,393 | 16.9 |
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Youth Justice in Australia 2022–23, supplementary tables S83b and S84b (2024).
