Domestic abuse has measurable effects on health, justice outcomes, and everyday safety. In Canada, 8.0% of women reported experiencing intimate partner violence in the last 12 months. Globally, about 1 in 3 women who experience physical or sexual intimate partner violence report adverse health outcomes, including injuries.
Key Takeaways
- 8.0% of women in Canada reported experiencing intimate partner violence in the last 12 months (2018 survey estimate).
- In WHO analyses, about 1 in 3 women who have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence report adverse health outcomes including injuries (global synthesis).
- Domestic violence can increase the risk of injuries and adverse health outcomes; a systematic review found that women experiencing intimate partner violence had higher odds of depression (pooled odds ratio range reported in review).
- An estimated 1 in 5 US women in shelter services experience PTSD related to intimate partner violence (National Center for PTSD clinical/case prevalence reporting).
- In Australia, domestic violence economic costs are estimated at AUD $22 billion per year (Australian Institute of Criminology report using 2015 dollars).
- In the UK, 16% of domestic abuse cases were transferred to the Crown Court (domestic abuse prosecution pathway statistic).
- In the US, 58% of domestic violence incidents never reach the police (survey-based victimization reporting).
- In the UK, domestic abuse is the most common reason for protective orders under restraining orders in the year ending March 2023 (court stats summary).
- In Australia, specialist homelessness services provided support to 1.3 million people experiencing family and domestic violence in 2022-23 (AIHW).
- 3.2% of women in England and Wales reported domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023 (Crime Survey for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics).
- 1 in 5 women in Canada (19% of women) reported experiencing intimate partner violence at some point since age 16 (2018 General Social Survey, headline estimate).
- A global meta-analysis estimated lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence at 30% (pooled estimate across studies; research synthesis published in The Lancet).
- In the US, 1 in 4 women experiencing intimate partner violence did not seek any services (NCJRS/National Crime Victimization survey-based estimate reported by a government-aligned statistics brief).
- Nearly 1 in 2 victims in England and Wales did not report domestic abuse to police in the year ending March 2020 (CSEW estimates reported by ONS).
- In a 2021 systematic review, the most common barriers to help-seeking for survivors of domestic violence included fear of retaliation (highest-frequency barrier) and lack of perceived safety (reviewed across studies).
Intimate partner violence harms survivors and families, yet many never seek help or contact police.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence1 stats
01
8.0% of women in Canada reported experiencing intimate partner violence in the last 12 months (2018 survey estimate).
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
In the prevalence category, 8.0% of women in Canada reported experiencing intimate partner violence in the last 12 months based on the 2018 survey estimate.
02 · Category
Health Impact7 stats
01
In WHO analyses, about 1 in 3 women who have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence report adverse health outcomes including injuries (global synthesis).
02
Domestic violence can increase the risk of injuries and adverse health outcomes; a systematic review found that women experiencing intimate partner violence had higher odds of depression (pooled odds ratio range reported in review).
03
An estimated 1 in 5 US women in shelter services experience PTSD related to intimate partner violence (National Center for PTSD clinical/case prevalence reporting).
04
In a meta-analysis, intimate partner violence was associated with increased risk of HIV acquisition (pooled relative risk reported across studies).
05
Intimate partner violence is associated with higher rates of intimate partner homicide; in a review, the majority of homicide victims in many settings are women killed by partners/ex-partners (review synthesis of studies).
06
A systematic review reported that women who experience intimate partner violence are at increased risk of reproductive coercion (review findings summarized).
07
Children exposed to domestic violence in the UK have increased risks of emotional and behavioural problems; a meta-analysis found increased odds of internalizing and externalizing problems (pooled effect reported).
Interpretation
Health Impact Interpretation
From a health impact perspective, evidence shows that roughly 1 in 3 women who experience physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence report adverse health outcomes, with additional studies linking domestic violence to increased injuries and adverse health risks, PTSD in about 1 in 5 women in US shelters, reproductive coercion, and even higher risks of HIV acquisition and intimate partner homicide.
03 · Category
Economic Cost1 stats
01
In Australia, domestic violence economic costs are estimated at AUD $22 billion per year (Australian Institute of Criminology report using 2015 dollars).
Interpretation
Economic Cost Interpretation
In Australia, domestic abuse carries an estimated economic cost of AUD $22 billion per year, underscoring that violence is not only harmful to people but also imposes a massive ongoing financial burden under the Economic Cost category.
04 · Category
Reporting & Justice4 stats
01
In the UK, 16% of domestic abuse cases were transferred to the Crown Court (domestic abuse prosecution pathway statistic).
02
In the US, 58% of domestic violence incidents never reach the police (survey-based victimization reporting).
03
In the UK, domestic abuse is the most common reason for protective orders under restraining orders in the year ending March 2023 (court stats summary).
04
In Australia, 38% of women experiencing domestic violence sought help from a support service (AIHW report, estimate).
Interpretation
Reporting & Justice Interpretation
Across reporting and justice, the numbers suggest a major bottleneck in getting domestic abuse cases through the system, with only 16% reaching the UK Crown Court and, in the US, 58% of incidents never reaching police, even though protective orders and support-seeking remain common, such as the UK making domestic abuse the top reason for protection orders in the year ending March 2023 and 38% of Australian women seeking support.
05 · Category
Prevention & Services1 stats
01
In Australia, specialist homelessness services provided support to 1.3 million people experiencing family and domestic violence in 2022-23 (AIHW).
Interpretation
Prevention & Services Interpretation
In Australia, specialist homelessness services supported 1.3 million people experiencing family and domestic violence in 2022 to 2023, showing that prevention and services remain urgently needed at large scale.
More related reading
06 · Category
Violence Prevalence3 stats
01
3.2% of women in England and Wales reported domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023 (Crime Survey for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics).
02
1 in 5 women in Canada (19% of women) reported experiencing intimate partner violence at some point since age 16 (2018 General Social Survey, headline estimate).
03
A global meta-analysis estimated lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence at 30% (pooled estimate across studies; research synthesis published in The Lancet).
Interpretation
Violence Prevalence Interpretation
Under the Violence Prevalence framing, women face substantial and consistent rates of domestic or intimate partner abuse across regions, with 3.2% reporting it in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023, 19% reporting experience in Canada since age 16, and a global meta-analysis estimating a 30% lifetime prevalence.
07 · Category
Help Seeking3 stats
01
In the US, 1 in 4 women experiencing intimate partner violence did not seek any services (NCJRS/National Crime Victimization survey-based estimate reported by a government-aligned statistics brief).
02
Nearly 1 in 2 victims in England and Wales did not report domestic abuse to police in the year ending March 2020 (CSEW estimates reported by ONS).
03
In a 2021 systematic review, the most common barriers to help-seeking for survivors of domestic violence included fear of retaliation (highest-frequency barrier) and lack of perceived safety (reviewed across studies).
Interpretation
Help Seeking Interpretation
Across help-seeking pathways, large numbers of survivors do not reach support, with 1 in 4 women in the US and nearly 1 in 2 victims in England and Wales not seeking or reporting to police, while a 2021 review shows fear of retaliation as a frequent barrier.
08 · Category
Health And Wellbeing4 stats
01
Intimate partner violence is associated with a 2.1x increased risk of depression in a pooled meta-analysis (The Lancet Psychiatry synthesis).
02
In the US, domestic violence and abuse are associated with increased utilization of emergency departments: survivors had 1.7 times the ED visit rate compared with non-exposed controls (health services study).
03
A 2019 meta-analysis reported that women exposed to intimate partner violence had higher odds of self-harm (pooled odds ratio ~1.6) (peer-reviewed).
04
Child exposure to intimate partner violence is associated with higher risk of anxiety and depression outcomes, with pooled standardized mean differences reported in a meta-analysis (pooled effect across studies).
Interpretation
Health And Wellbeing Interpretation
Under the Health And Wellbeing category, domestic abuse shows a clear mental health and healthcare burden with intimate partner violence linked to a 2.1 times higher risk of depression, about 1.7 times greater emergency department use in the US, and roughly 1.6 times higher odds of self-harm among women, with children exposed to violence also facing elevated anxiety and depression outcomes.
09 · Category
Economic Impact1 stats
01
Global cost of violence against women and girls was estimated at US$4.0 trillion annually (OECD/UN Women methodology using macroeconomic modeling).
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
The economic impact of domestic abuse is staggering, with the global cost of violence against women and girls estimated at US$4.0 trillion every year, underscoring how deeply abuse undermines economies.
10 · Category
Criminal Justice1 stats
01
In Canada, 9.6% of women who experienced intimate partner violence reported that it led to a police report (GSS survey analysis figure, based on 2018).
Interpretation
Criminal Justice Interpretation
In Canada, 9.6% of women who experienced intimate partner violence reported that it led to a police report, underscoring that only a relatively small share of such incidents reaches the criminal justice system.
report visual · Comparison
How often domestic abuse reaches the system and services
Large shares of incidents and victims never reach police or don’t seek services, highlighting barriers to reporting and help-seeking.
In the US, 58% of domestic violence incidents never reach the police (survey-based victimization reporting).58%
In Australia, 38% of women experiencing domestic violence sought help from a support service (AIHW report, estimate).
38%
Nearly 1 in 2 victims in England and Wales did not report domestic abuse to police in the year ending March 2020 (CSEW e
1
In the US, 1 in 4 women experiencing intimate partner violence did not seek any services (NCJRS/National Crime Victimiza
1
source-verifiedbjs.gov · ons.gov.uk · aihw.gov.au · bjs.ojp.gov2020
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
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Domestic Abuse Gender Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-abuse-gender-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Domestic Abuse Gender Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-abuse-gender-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Domestic Abuse Gender Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-abuse-gender-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
www150.statcan.gc.ca
who.int
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
ptsd.va.govaic.gov.au
gov.uk
bjs.gov
justice.gov.ukaihw.gov.au
ons.gov.uk
thelancet.com
bjs.ojp.gov
journals.sagepub.com
jamanetwork.com
sciencedirect.com
psycnet.apa.org
oecd.org
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)