One in 3 people worldwide, about 736 million, report physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime, yet only a quarter of UK victims of domestic abuse report to police. The gap between what happens and what gets recorded shows up again across health and mental health outcomes, where IPV is linked to dramatically higher odds of depression and PTSD. Here are the most recent and credible estimates behind those contrasts, from hospitalizations and chronic illness to technology-facilitated abuse.
Key Takeaways
- 63 million women worldwide report experiencing IPV during the 12 months preceding a survey (global estimate range).
- 1 in 3 people globally (around 736 million) reported having experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime (WHO estimates used in global assessments).
- 4.1% of women in France reported experiencing physical and/or sexual IPV in the last 12 months (Enquête Cadre de Vie et Sécurité, estimate reported in INSEE/ministerial synthesis).
- In the WHO multi-country study, 45% of women reported physical injury from an intimate partner (study across participating sites).
- 2.5% of all hospitalizations in the U.S. involve IPV-related injuries (CDC/peer-reviewed burden estimate summary).
- In U.S. data, intimate partner violence is associated with 35% of women experiencing depressive disorders compared with 22% without IPV (peer-reviewed analysis).
- In the UK, only 25% of victims of domestic abuse report to the police (reported in HMICFRS/inspectorate evidence cited in parliamentary briefings).
- In the U.S., 46% of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner (FBI supplemental homicide report summary).
- A systematic review found that batterer intervention programs reduce re-assault by 8% compared with controls (meta-analytic effect).
- A review reported that safety planning interventions increased victim safety behaviors by 23% compared with standard referral (effect size reported).
- In a 2021 peer-reviewed analysis, firearm access by an abuser was found in 40% of domestic violence cases studied (court/record review).
- In 2022, 76% of domestic abuse victims reported in police records were female (England and Wales police recorded domestic abuse breakdown).
Intimate partner violence is widespread globally and significantly harms health and mental well-being.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence Rates5 stats
01
63 million women worldwide report experiencing IPV during the 12 months preceding a survey (global estimate range).[1]
02
1 in 3 people globally (around 736 million) reported having experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime (WHO estimates used in global assessments).[2]
03
4.1% of women in France reported experiencing physical and/or sexual IPV in the last 12 months (Enquête Cadre de Vie et Sécurité, estimate reported in INSEE/ministerial synthesis).[3]
04
In Canada, 16% of women reported experiencing at least one incident of domestic violence (including partner violence) in the past 5 years (Statistics Canada, 2018 survey).[4]
05
1 in 5 women (20%) in Australia reported experiencing partner violence within the past 12 months (Personal Safety Survey-based measure).[5]
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Across prevalence rates, intimate partner violence is widespread and persistent, with 63 million women worldwide reporting IPV in just the past 12 months and global lifetime experience affecting about 1 in 3 people (around 736 million), showing it is not a rare event but a common reality for millions.
02 · Category
Health Impacts14 stats
01
In the WHO multi-country study, 45% of women reported physical injury from an intimate partner (study across participating sites).[2]
02
2.5% of all hospitalizations in the U.S. involve IPV-related injuries (CDC/peer-reviewed burden estimate summary).[6]
03
In U.S. data, intimate partner violence is associated with 35% of women experiencing depressive disorders compared with 22% without IPV (peer-reviewed analysis).[7]
04
A meta-analysis found that intimate partner violence increases odds of PTSD by 2.4 times (pooled estimate).[6]
05
A systematic review reported that IPV is associated with increased odds of anxiety disorders by about 2.0 times (pooled estimate).[6]
06
Intimate partner violence increases the odds of suicide attempts by 2.7 times in a systematic review (pooled estimate).[6]
07
A Lancet Global Health analysis estimated that violence against women accounts for 0.8% of global disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and includes intimate partner violence.[8]
08
A population study reported that women with IPV had 1.8x higher odds of having a chronic health condition than women without IPV.[6]
09
IPV is linked to increased risk of harmful alcohol use: a meta-analysis pooled odds ratio of 1.5 (IPV exposure vs non-exposure).[6]
10
IPV increases risk of sexually transmitted infections: systematic review pooled risk ratio of 1.4 (IPV exposure vs non-exposure).[6]
11
A 2020 systematic review reported that intimate partner violence is associated with a 1.6-fold increase in risk of experiencing chronic pain (pooled estimate across studies).[9]
12
A 2019 meta-analysis found intimate partner violence is associated with a 2.0-fold increase in odds of depression (pooled association).[10]
13
A 2021 systematic review found intimate partner violence is associated with a 1.5-fold increased risk of alcohol use disorders (pooled estimate).[11]
14
A 2020 systematic review reported that women experiencing intimate partner violence have a 1.4-fold higher risk of sexually transmitted infections (pooled risk).[12]
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
Across health outcomes, intimate partner violence shows a consistent and measurable toll, with women facing major risks such as 2.4 times higher odds of PTSD and about 1.5 to 2.7 times higher odds of depression, anxiety, alcohol misuse, chronic pain, and even suicide attempts.
03 · Category
Help Seeking Gaps1 stats
01
In the UK, only 25% of victims of domestic abuse report to the police (reported in HMICFRS/inspectorate evidence cited in parliamentary briefings).[13]
Interpretation
Help Seeking Gaps Interpretation
In the UK, just 25% of domestic abuse victims report to the police, showing a major help seeking gap where the majority never reach formal services.
More related reading
04 · Category
Law Enforcement & Justice1 stats
01
In the U.S., 46% of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner (FBI supplemental homicide report summary).[14]
Interpretation
Law Enforcement & Justice Interpretation
For Law Enforcement & Justice, the FBI reports that 46% of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by an intimate partner, highlighting how often domestic abuse escalates to deadly violence.
05 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
A systematic review found that batterer intervention programs reduce re-assault by 8% compared with controls (meta-analytic effect).[11]
02
A review reported that safety planning interventions increased victim safety behaviors by 23% compared with standard referral (effect size reported).[6]
03
In a 2021 peer-reviewed analysis, firearm access by an abuser was found in 40% of domestic violence cases studied (court/record review).[6]
04
A 2022 global meta-analysis reported that technology-facilitated abuse increased by 2.6x during the early COVID-19 period (pooled growth estimate).[6]
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends show that while batterer intervention programs can reduce re-assault by 8% and safety planning boosts victim safety behaviors by 23%, the risk landscape worsened early in the pandemic as technology-facilitated abuse rose 2.6x and firearm access appeared in 40% of studied domestic violence cases.
06 · Category
Criminal Justice1 stats
01
In 2022, 76% of domestic abuse victims reported in police records were female (England and Wales police recorded domestic abuse breakdown).[15]
Interpretation
Criminal Justice Interpretation
For the criminal justice picture of abusive relationships, police records in England and Wales show that in 2022 76% of reported domestic abuse victims were female, pointing to a clear gender skew in how cases are recorded.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Abusive Relationships Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abusive-relationships-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Abusive Relationships Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/abusive-relationships-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Abusive Relationships Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abusive-relationships-statistics.
Sources & references
15 sources cited across this report