Australia ranks 1st on global child protection but still falls short of minimum standard, Index reveals

Despite a relatively strong score in the 2026 Out of the Shadows Index, advocates urge Australia to take further action to build more comprehensive protection systems

• The 2026 Out of the Shadows Index ranks 60 countries, across six regions – together home to 83% of the world’s children – on national action to address childhood sexual violence, with Australia leading at 83/100.
• Australia is home to approximately 5.7 million children and adolescents, representing just 1.2% of the East Asia and Pacific region's total population under the age of 18.
• Australia is one of just two countries to have a government-supported National Survivors Council, in this case focused on broader lived experience of domestic, family, and sexual violence.
• Australia is one of nine countries that include comprehensive life-skills sexual education in their national curricula, including the risks of online abuse and exploitation and child abuse identification, disclosure, and help-seeking.
• Advocates urge the Australian government to establish a Royal Commission on intrafamilial sexual violence, pointing to weak implementation of existing policies, regional disparities in protection, and the persistent neglect of abuse within families.

GENEVA, May 18, 2026 — Australia ranks first out of 60 countries globally in the 2026 Out of the Shadows Index, a new global benchmark assessing countries based on the minimum laws, policies, and services necessary to address sexual violence against children and adolescents. The Index, researched and developed by Economist Impact with advocacy led by Together for Girls, assesses 60 countries representing 83% of the world’s children across 4 pillars: Governance and Accountability (coordinated national action); Prevention (child protection); Healing (high-quality care); and Justice (strong legal systems). The Index does not measure prevalence of such violence.

“Behind every data point in this Index is a child whose life has been shaped by violence,” said Elly Vaughan, who led the research at Economist Impact. “Our research points to the stark finding that no country is doing enough to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children and teens. Across all 60 countries evaluated, our research exposes critical gaps in child protection systems — including top-ranked nations like Australia, where plans and policies to prevent and respond to child and adolescent sexual violence remain incomplete.”

Australia’s score on the four pillars are as follows:

• Governance and Accountability: 88.6/100
• Prevention: 80/100
• Healing: 70/100
• Justice: 85.3/100

“While Australia’s top ranking reflects strong legal frameworks and support services, the Index measures the minimum standard – the floor, not the ceiling. Survivors and victims in regional and remote areas of Australia experience significant barriers to accessing medical and other services, among other gaps. The Australian government must use the Out of the Shadows Index as a roadmap for action to end sexual violence. Only when action is being taken consistently across all indicators are children going to be safe,” said Professor S. Caroline Taylor, Co-founder, Brave Movement and Founder, Professor Caroline Taylor Foundation. “We must also urgently establish a Royal Commission on Intrafamilial Sexual Violence, to address the weak implementation of existing policies, regional disparities in protection, and the persistent neglect of abuse within families, where stigma and silence continue to limit prevention, healing, and justice.”

Despite strengths and a relatively strong ranking, gaps remain. Together for Girls, the advocacy lead for the Out of the Shadows Index, identified recommendations for the Australian government to improve its systems, including but not limited to:

• Increase overall budget transparency
• Ban corporal punishment of children in all settings
• Eliminate exceptions to the established legal age of marriage of 18
• Add specific budgetary information to the National Action Plan for sexual violence against children or its corresponding action plans
• Legally mandate training for general medical providers on sexual violence against children
• Increasing victims' and survivors’ access to medical care in all regions

With a global commitment to eliminate childhood sexual violence by 2030 — and no country currently on track — the findings underscore the need for sustained prevention-focused investment and continued strengthening of survivor-informed policymaking.

PRESS CONTACTS

For questions about the research, contact: media@economist.com

For questions about how to use the Index to drive advocacy and engagement efforts, contact: Christy Delafield christy@togetherforgirls.org 

Notes to editors:

Support and resources: If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, support is available. Find resources by country.

About the Out of the Shadows Index: The Out of the Shadows Index is the global benchmark of national governments' efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children and adolescents. The Index is researched and developed by Economist Impact, with advocacy and engagement efforts led by Together for Girls.

It ranks 60 countries across 6 regions, which together are home to 83% of the world’s children. The Index scores countries across 23 indicators, covering laws, policies, programs, and services that a government should have in place to end sexual violence against children and adolescents in their country.

First launched in 2019 and updated in 2022, the 2026 edition marks its third iteration, and the 4th will be launched in 2027.

About the Out of the Shadows Index Australia Data: There are 5.7 million children in Australia, 1.2% of the of the region's total population under the age of 18.

Australia’s first-ever Child Maltreatment Study of 2023 showed a high national prevalence of sexual violence against girls (37%) and boys (19%). The study shed light on important changes over time, with a decline in sexual violence perpetrated by adults (12%) and an increase in perpetration by adolescents (19%), among youth ages 16-24. While the prevalence remains high, encouraging declines in sexual violence against children by adults show the impact of protective policies and programs even as increasing sexual violence by adolescents must be addressed.

Australia’s National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse (2021–2030) and First Commonwealth Action Plan (2021-2024) serve as a roadmap for change, outlining clear activities, roles, and responsibilities, and costs. These plans were developed in consultation with children and youth.