The Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas recorded a rise from three to four domestic violence incidents per day from February to March, according to NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures issued on Thursday morning.

This was a larger increase than in any other NSW statistical area, most of which reported a decline in domestic assaults.

But the March daily rate for Newcastle and Lake Macquarie of 3.9 was down from 4.4 in March 2019 and lower than in November and December, when it was almost five.

The rate of domestic assaults in the rest of the Hunter remained virtually static at 3.8 per day in March compared with the corresponding month last year.

Across the state, the number of domestic violence assaults in March 2020 was also largely static at 2678, compared with 2632 in March 2019.

The bureau's executive director, Jackie Fitzgerald, said the statewide numbers showed coronavirus social isolation strategies had not had a significant effect on domestic violence, but the rise in Newcastle was worth monitoring.

"I wouldn't probably read too much into it, but, of all the parts of NSW, that probably is the location that did see the biggest, I guess jump is too strong a word, but it did increase a fair bit there in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie," she said.

"What I would say is let's keep an eye on it, and one month is really not indicative of a trend at all. I wouldn't be troubled at the moment, but worth keeping an eye on, absolutely."

Commbank research showed an 8 per cent year-on-year fall in alcohol sales across Australia in the week to April 3 after drinkers rushed to stockpile grog in March.

Ms Fitzgerald said lower alcohol sales might have helped dampen domestic violence rates.

"It's an interesting situation where everything is in flux. The normal rules don't seem to apply."

She said it was important for the bureau to respond to the "supposition" that the coronavirus restrictions had increased domestic violence rates.

"We are looking at the first two weeks of lockdown, so we are looking at quite an early period, but there have still been claims of increases over that time so we thought it was important to get the official data on the record that we're not actually seeing an increase."

An informal review of domestic violence rates in NSW in April had shown "no reason for concern".

"It definitely could still occur, because all the conditions are right for an increase in domestic violence.

"We've got the economic pressures increasing as time goes on, we've got people in quarantine potentially with the perpetrator.

"All of the external drivers point to an increase, but we haven't yet seen that increase."

Data showed police were completing more apprehended violence order compliance checks than "they ever have done before" and economic stimulus measures might have reduced at least some stress on families.

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