Nearly 1700 domestic violence reports were made to Wanganui police in the past year.
Figures released to APNZ show 1670 domestic violence incidents were reported in Wanganui in the 12 months to June 30.
Jigsaw Whanganui executive officer Tim Metcalfe, who has been involved with community support services in Wanganui for 20 years, said more people were speaking out against domestic violence.
"Anecdotally, there's the sense that people are seeking help and seeking assistance.
"There's [also] been a significant increase in understanding the impact for children of witnessing family violence."