Summary

On this page In this section

The number of young people in detention The proportion of young people who experienced unsentenced detention First Nations young people in detention Young people aged 10–13 in detention Trends of young people in detention Trends of young people in sentenced and unsentenced detention Patterns of youth detention in each state and territory

The number of young people in detention

On an average night in the June quarter 2025, 884 young Australians aged 10 and over were in detention because of their involvement, or alleged involvement, in criminal activity. Of those young people in detention, most are male, aged between 14 and 17 and most are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) young people.

The number of young people in detention has increased from 809 in the June quarter 2021. However, it is worth noting that detention numbers may have been lower during the COVID–19 pandemic. For more information, see Impact of COVID-19 on youth detention data.

This report is part of an annual series that analyses of the numbers and rates of young people aged 10 and over who were in youth detention in Australia. It focuses on trends over the 4–year period from the June quarter 2021 to the June quarter 2025. This report includes the impact of changes to the minimum age of criminal responsibility in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. Both jurisdictions raised the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old (from 10) during 2023. However, in October 2024, the Northern Territory lowered the age of criminal responsibility back to 10 years old.

A better understanding of the characteristics and seasonal trends of young people in detention can help support staff, case workers and policy makers to get the best outcomes for these young people. The data may have important policy implications for the age of criminal responsibility among young people.

All data presented in this report are available through the online supplementary tables: Youth detention population in Australia 2025: Data.

For more information go to Youth detention data and Raising the age of criminal responsibility.

Figure SUMMARY 1: Number of young people in detention on an average night in Australia

See extended description below the figure's notes.

See extended description below the figure's notes.

Notes:

  1. These data are not comparable to those published in previous editions of Youth detention population in Australia. Previous editions contained differences in data formats, specifications, definitions and/or quality across jurisdictions. Further details are provided under Technical notes in the report. 
  2. A small number of young people are reported as having unknown Indigenous status, so some proportions will not sum to 100%.
  3. Average day numbers and proportions may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
  4. Trends among small populations should be interpreted with caution. Numbers tend to fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to random variation, and this might affect the appearance and interpretation of trends.
  5. The legal status pie chart for June quarter 2025 excludes Northern Territory data as data for young people in detention by legal status were not available
  6. Data quality issues for Australian Capital Territory data may result in small undercounts.

Source: AIHW 2025. Youth detention population in Australia 2025. 

The proportion of young people who experienced unsentenced detention

About 3 in 4 (72%) young people in detention on an average night in the June quarter 2025 were unsentenced (this proportion was calculated using the Australia total excluding the Northern Territory, as data for legal status were unavailable in the Northern Territory from September quarter 2024 to June quarter 2025).

For more information go to Trends in sentenced and unsentenced detention.

Legal status of young people in detention

In Australia, young people who are charged with, or proven guilty of, criminal offences may be supervised by state and territory youth justice agencies. Supervision may take place either in the community or in detention facilities.

This report looks at trends in the numbers and rates of young people in secure detention facilities in Australia due to their involvement or alleged involvement in crime.

Young people might be in detention while they are:

  • unsentenced – that is, awaiting their initial court appearance, or awaiting sentencing after being found or pleading guilty
  • sentenced – when they have been found guilty in court and have received a legal order to serve a period of detention.

Whether a young person is unsentenced or sentenced is known as their ‘legal status’.

First Nations young people in detention

The AIHW uses 'First Nations people' to refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this report.

Of the 884 young people in detention on an average night aged 10 and over in the June quarter 2025, over half (56%, or 495) were First Nations young people. 

Of the 761 young people aged 10–17 in detention during this period, almost 3 in 5 (60%, or 453) were First Nations young people, yet First Nations young people made up just 6.6% of the Australian population aged 10–17.

The rate of First Nations young people aged 10–17 in detention increased slightly between the June quarter 2021 and the June quarter 2025 (22 to 26 per 10,000). First Nations young people were 21 times as likely as non-Indigenous young people to be in detention in the June quarter 2025 (compared with 17 times as likely in the June quarter 2021).

First Nations people have a long history of over-representation in the youth and adult justice systems in Australia. This over-representation reflects a history of trauma, cultural dispossession, and forced displacement and assimilation that have affected them, their parents, families and communities (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 2011; Johnston 1991).

For more information go to First Nations young people.

Young people aged 10–13 in detention

There were 44 young people aged 10–13 in detention in the June quarter 2025. This number has increased from 40 in the June quarter 2021.

The rate of young people aged 10–13 in detention on an average night in the June quarter 2024 was 0.3 per 10,000. For First Nations young people aged 10–13 the rate was 4.0 per 10,000 and for young non-Indigenous Australians the rate was 0.1 per 10,000.

Of First Nations young people in detention, 7.0% were aged 10–13. The proportion of non-Indigenous young people in detention aged 10–13 was 2.3%.

For more information see Trends in detention and The age of First Nations young people in detention.

Trends of young people in detention

Over the 4–year period from the June quarter 2021 to the June quarter 2025, the number of young people in detention on an average night increased from 809 to 884. In the June quarter 2025, the rate of young people aged 10–17 in detention on an average night was 2.8 per 10,000. This rate was marginally higher than in the June quarter 2021 and the June quarter 2024 (2.7 per 10,000).

For more information go to Trends in the number of young people in detention.

Trends of young people in sentenced and unsentenced detention

Northern Territory youth detention population data by legal status were not available between September quarter 2024 and June quarter 2025. This section therefore uses the Australia total excluding the Northern Territory.

From the June quarter 2021 to the June quarter 2025, the proportion of those in unsentenced and sentenced detention fluctuated.

In the June quarter 2025, there were 2.1 per 10,000 young people aged 10–17 in unsentenced detention on an average night, and 0.6 per 10,000 in sentenced detention.

The rate of young people in unsentenced detention remained steady over time. It was lowest in the September quarter 2024 (1.8 per 10,000), and highest in the March quarter 2025 (2.2 per 10,000).

The rate of young people aged 10–17 in sentenced detention changed slightly over time. It was lowest in the September quarter 2023 (0.4 per 10,000) and highest in the June quarter 2025 (0.6 per 10,000).

For more information go to Trends in sentenced and unsentenced detention.

Patterns of youth detention in each state and territory

In this report, rates are usually calculated for young people aged 10–17. In 2023, the Australian Capital Territory raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. This means that 10 and 11-year-olds cannot be held criminally responsible for their conduct from 2023–2024 (September quarter 2023 to June quarter 2025) in the Australian Capital Territory.

To account for the increased age of criminal responsibility, rates for the Australian Capital Territory from 2023-24 are for young people aged 12–17 (instead of 10–17) as 10 and 11-year-olds are absent from both the number (numerator) and population (denominator) used to calculate rates.

Note that care should be taken when comparing rates for the Australian Capital Territory in 2023–24 and 2024–25 to prior quarters. As the exclusion of 10 and 11-year-olds from 2023–24 onwards has reduced the total in-scope population (denominator) by about 25%, rates will appear higher than in previous quarters.

In 2023, the Northern Territory raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. To account for this, rates for the Northern Territory in 2023–24 are for young people aged 12–17 (September quarter 2023 to June quarter 2024) as 10 and 11-year-olds are absent from both the number (numerator) and population (denominator) used to calculate rates. As the exclusion of 10 and 11-year-olds in 2023–24 has reduced the total in-scope population (denominator) by about 25%, rates will appear higher than in previous quarters.

In 2024, the Northern Territory lowered their minimum age of criminal responsibility back to 10. For 2024–25 (September quarter 2024 to June quarter 2025) rates for the Northern Territory are for young people aged 10–17. 

The rates for Australia in 2023–24 use the sum of the 12–17 population for the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory and the 10–17 population for all other jurisdictions. 

The rates for Australia in 2024–25 use the sum of the 12–17 population for the Australian Capital Territory and the 10–17 population for all other jurisdictions.

All rates prior to 2023–24 use the 10–17 population for all jurisdictions and Australia. 

For more information go to Rates.

Over the 4–year reporting period, the Northern Territory consistently had the highest rate of young people in detention on an average night each quarter (10 to 23 per 10,000 aged 10–17). This rate was at its peak in the September quarter 2023 (23 per 10,000) and lowest in the September quarter 2024 (10 per 10,000). 

In this period, there were declines in the rate of young people in detention on an average night in Western Australia. Rates of young people in detention on an average night increased in New South Wales and Tasmania. 

In South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory, rates fluctuated over the 4–year period and showed no clear trend.

Trends in detention in the Australian Capital Territory could not be reliably determined due to small numbers.

For more information go to State and territory trends.

Figure SUMMARY 2: Rates of young people in detention on an average night in Australia

See extended description below the figure's notes.

See extended description below the figure's notes.

Notes: 

  1. These data are not comparable to those published in previous editions of Youth detention population in Australia. Previous editions contained differences in data formats, specifications, definitions and/or quality across jurisdictions. Further details are provided under Technical notes in the report. 
  2. Trends among small populations should be interpreted with caution. Numbers tend to fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to random variation, which might affect the appearance and interpretation of trends.
  3. Rates are the number of young people per 10,000 relevant population.
  4. Rates are not published where there were fewer than 5 young people.
  5. In August 2023, the Northern Territory raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. The rates for the Northern Territory in 2023–24 are for young people aged 12–17. 
  6. In October 2024, the Northern Territory lowered the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10. The rates for the Northern Territory in 2024–25 are for young people aged 10–17.
  7. In November 2023, the Australian Capital Territory raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. The rates for the Australian Capital Territory from 2023–24 are for young people aged 12–17.
  8. Data quality issues for Australian Capital Territory data may result in small undercounts.

Source: AIHW 2025. Youth detention population in Australia 2025. 

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