In the United States, 57% of women experiencing domestic violence said they needed housing services but did not receive them, even while 2.2% of total healthcare spending is linked to intimate partner violence and sexual violence. The picture gets even more stark when you zoom out globally, where 35% of women worldwide have faced physical and or sexual violence from an intimate partner or a non partner. This post connects those dots to show how abuse spreads across health, mental wellbeing, employment, and even outcomes like miscarriage.
Key Takeaways
- 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence (global estimate)
- 1 in 3 women reported experiencing physical or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner in the last 12 months in a 2005 WHO multi-country study (multi-country study synthesis)
- In England and Wales, 21% of domestic abuse incidents included threats to kill or harm (CSEW bulletin)
- Violence by intimate partners is reported in 1.7% of women’s health visits in primary care settings in a systematic review (percent of encounters)
- Women exposed to intimate partner violence have a 2x higher odds of adverse mental health outcomes such as PTSD in a meta-analysis (odds ratio range)
- Intimate partner violence is associated with a 40% increase in the likelihood of low birth weight, according to a systematic review summarized by WHO (meta-analytic evidence)
- Women exposed to intimate partner violence have a 1.5–2.0 times higher risk of depression compared with women not exposed (WHO summary)
- Women experiencing intimate partner violence are 2.8 times more likely to report symptoms of PTSD (systematic review summarized by WHO)
- Digital abuse can escalate quickly: 60% of survivors who used social media reported harassment during separation (survey-based statistic)
- 45% of U.S. women reported experiencing some form of online harassment (Pew survey)
- 3.5 million reports of domestic violence-related cyber abuse were filed in a year globally according to a vendor/industry dataset (industry report)
- 57% of victims of domestic violence in the U.S. reported needing housing services but did not receive them (national survey finding)
- 2.2% of total U.S. healthcare spending is associated with intimate partner violence and sexual violence (estimate)
- Approximately 60% of healthcare professionals surveyed in the U.S. report they are not adequately trained to identify and respond to intimate partner violence (professional survey finding)
- 35% of women in the U.S. who experienced intimate partner violence reported needing additional healthcare services related to the violence (survey finding)
Around one in three women experience intimate partner violence, linked to severe mental and health harms.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence & Scope2 stats
01
35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence (global estimate)https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
02
1 in 3 women reported experiencing physical or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner in the last 12 months in a 2005 WHO multi-country study (multi-country study synthesis)https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44399/9789241548595_eng.pdf
Interpretation
Prevalence & Scope Interpretation
Under the Prevalence and Scope lens, violence against women is widespread, with about 35% globally experiencing physical and/or sexual violence and roughly 1 in 3 reporting such abuse in the previous 12 months, underscoring that it is not rare or isolated.
02 · Category
Risk Factors & Outcomes14 stats
01
In England and Wales, 21% of domestic abuse incidents included threats to kill or harm (CSEW bulletin)https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/domesticabuseinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2023
02
Violence by intimate partners is reported in 1.7% of women’s health visits in primary care settings in a systematic review (percent of encounters)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31527789/
03
Women exposed to intimate partner violence have a 2x higher odds of adverse mental health outcomes such as PTSD in a meta-analysis (odds ratio range)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25896671/
04
Alcohol misuse by male partners is present in 17% of intimate partner violence incidents in a systematic review (percentage of cases)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22323686/
05
Prior victimization increases the likelihood of experiencing subsequent intimate partner violence by about 3 times in longitudinal research (risk multiplier)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23436880/
06
Women who experience childhood maltreatment have a 1.5–2.0 times higher risk of intimate partner violence as adults (meta-analysis range)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27103731/
07
Adverse childhood experiences are associated with a 2.6x increased risk of perpetrating intimate partner violence in meta-analytic evidence (relative risk)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27463134/
08
Intimate partner violence increases risk of homelessness: 20% of women experiencing domestic violence report homelessness in a U.S. survey (systematic study)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25919944/
09
Women who experience intimate partner violence have a 3.0x higher likelihood of developing substance use disorders (meta-analysis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25882653/
10
In a systematic review, women experiencing intimate partner violence report 1.3–2.0 times higher rates of chronic pain (range)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29939307/
11
In France, 17% of women report experiencing psychological violence by a partner during their lifetime (Insee/Enquête Cadre de Vie evidence)https://www.insee.fr/en/statistiques/serie/000616691
12
In Spain, 20% of women report experiencing psychological violence by an intimate partner at some point (INE/violence survey results)https://www.ine.es/en/
13
Women with disabilities are 1.5x more likely to experience violence in a global meta-analysis (relative risk)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30041160/
14
Women in conflict-affected settings experience higher rates: 37.0% lifetime intimate partner violence in selected settings (systematic review estimate)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30477071/
Interpretation
Risk Factors & Outcomes Interpretation
Across risk factors and outcomes for abused women, exposure to intimate partner violence is tightly linked to mental and physical harm with doubled odds of adverse mental health outcomes and markedly higher rates such as 20% reporting homelessness, while childhood and prior victimization also amplify risk up to about 3 times.
03 · Category
Economic & Societal Impact6 stats
01
Intimate partner violence is associated with a 40% increase in the likelihood of low birth weight, according to a systematic review summarized by WHO (meta-analytic evidence)https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/69457/WHO_RHR_11.35_eng.pdf
02
Women exposed to intimate partner violence have a 1.5–2.0 times higher risk of depression compared with women not exposed (WHO summary)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241548595
03
Women experiencing intimate partner violence are 2.8 times more likely to report symptoms of PTSD (systematic review summarized by WHO)https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/255661/9789241565577_eng.pdf
04
Intimate partner violence increases the odds of suicide attempts by 2.2 times (meta-analysis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27354055/
05
Intimate partner violence is associated with a 2-fold increased risk of miscarriage (systematic review)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25282434/
06
Intimate partner violence increases the risk of low birth weight by 1.5 times (meta-analysis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28280050/
Interpretation
Economic & Societal Impact Interpretation
From an Economic and Societal Impact perspective, intimate partner violence is linked to clear downstream harms such as a 40% higher likelihood of low birth weight and 2.2 times greater odds of suicide attempts, showing how abuse translates into major public health and social burden rather than only private suffering.
04 · Category
Digital Abuse & Technology4 stats
01
Digital abuse can escalate quickly: 60% of survivors who used social media reported harassment during separation (survey-based statistic)https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/03/14/digital-abuse-of-women/
02
45% of U.S. women reported experiencing some form of online harassment (Pew survey)https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2014/10/22/online-harassment/
03
3.5 million reports of domestic violence-related cyber abuse were filed in a year globally according to a vendor/industry dataset (industry report)https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/secure-access/index.html
04
Victims reported that abusers used 'fake profiles' in 20% of technology-facilitated harassment cases (study)https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/06/27/online-harassment/
Interpretation
Digital Abuse & Technology Interpretation
In Digital Abuse and Technology, online harassment is a rapid and widespread tactic, with 60% of social media users reporting harassment during separation and 45% of U.S. women experiencing online harassment overall.
More related reading
05 · Category
Criminal Justice & Reporting1 stats
01
57% of victims of domestic violence in the U.S. reported needing housing services but did not receive them (national survey finding)https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/dsmp/dsmp_national_report_2019.html
Interpretation
Criminal Justice & Reporting Interpretation
Even though 57% of U.S. domestic violence victims said they needed housing services, the fact that so many were not able to access them underscores a critical gap in how the criminal justice and reporting systems respond to survivors’ most urgent needs.
06 · Category
Economic Impact1 stats
01
2.2% of total U.S. healthcare spending is associated with intimate partner violence and sexual violence (estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235201/
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Abused women’s economic impact is substantial because intimate partner violence and sexual violence account for about 2.2% of total U.S. healthcare spending, highlighting how these abuses drive major healthcare costs.
08 · Category
Technology & Online Abuse1 stats
01
1 in 3 young adults (34%) report experiencing online harassment (survey finding)https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/01/22/online-harassment/
Interpretation
Technology & Online Abuse Interpretation
For Technology and Online Abuse, 34% of young adults say they have experienced online harassment, showing that this is a widespread issue affecting about 1 in 3 people.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Abused Women Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abused-women-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Abused Women Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/abused-women-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Abused Women Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abused-women-statistics.
Sources & references
34 datasets cited across this report
+24 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)