According to research done by the BBC, 173 people were killed in 2018, 32 more than in 2017.
Police data obtained by the broadcaster also showed that around three-quarters of the victims were women, while suspects were mostly men.
The news comes amid pledges made by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday to tackle "this horrific crime" by reintroducing domestic abuse legislation.
In 2018, the UK Crime Survey for England and Wales showed that an estimated 3 percent of women aged 16 to 59 experienced some type of sexual assault in the country. The UK Office for National Statistics showed that an estimated 1.2 million women, almost twice the amount of men, had experienced some form of domestic abuse in 2018.
In March 2014, Clare's Law, intended to provide partners in a relationship the opportunity to tap into police records and help make an informed decision came into force. Clare Wood, whom the law was named after, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend five years ago. Her former partner had a history of violence against women, a fact that Wood was not aware of at the time.
