Survey figures issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday revealed a total of 7700 people were reported as victims of physical assault throughout 2012-13.

While the number is higher than that reported to the ABS five years earlier, when 7500 victims were recorded, the victimisation rate was lower than that recorded in 2008-09.

At 2.6 per cent, the most recent victimisation rate in the ACT was one of the lowest of all the states and territories.

However, the capital's victimisation rate for face-to-face threats of physical assaults was higher at 3.4 per cent in 2012-13. It was the third highest of all the states and territories behind the Northern Territory and Tasmania. Western Australia and South Australia also reported a victimisation rate of 3.4 per cent.

The number of victims reporting face-to-face threats of assault has dropped within the ACT, down from 13,100 victims in 2008-09 to 10,100 in 2012-13. The ABS figures also outlined a drop in the number of sexual assault victims from 2011-12 to 2012-13, from 1500 victims to 500.

Reporting rates were not available for recent sexual assaults.

Nationally, Australia experienced less crime in the previous financial year than in 2008-09.

The rates of break-ins, attempted break-ins, malicious property damage and motor vehicle theft were all recorded as lower than five years ago.

In the ACT, the number of respondents reporting as victims of thefts from motor vehicles was the lowest in those five years at 3600 people throughout the previous financial year.