Domestic violence is not just a crisis you hear about it is a measurable pattern, including in places where people least expect it. In the past 12 months, 20% of women worldwide experienced physical and or sexual violence by an intimate partner, yet only 1 in 10 victims in the U.S. seek police help. This gap between what happens and what is reported is why these awareness statistics matter and why the details across regions and interventions can look so different.
Key Takeaways
- 20% of women worldwide have experienced physical violence and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months (WHO estimate).
- Approximately 4.9 million women are victims of intimate partner violence treated in emergency rooms across the European Union each year (EU-27, estimate).
- In the U.S., intimate partner violence was reported in 2019 by 5.0% of women and 2.7% of men in the past 12 months (NCVS summary reported by BJS).
- In Australia, domestic violence costs the economy an estimated $22 billion per year (AIHW estimate summarized in AIHW domestic/family violence reporting).
- 50% of women who experience violence by an intimate partner are injured at least once during the past 12 months (WHO violence against women findings).
- Only 1 in 10 victims of domestic violence seek police help (U.S. survey evidence summarized by Bureau of Justice Statistics).
- 28% of victims of rape or sexual assault reported to police in the U.S. (BJS report on criminal victimization).
- In the U.S., 78% of victims of intimate partner violence said they did not report the incident to police because they thought it wouldn’t help (BJS/NCVS-related analysis).
- In the U.S., IPV screening adoption in primary care clinics reported by one survey: 74% used standardized screening tools (RAND?).
- In the U.S., CDC’s YRBSS survey includes ~10,000 students per state for violence-related behaviors (CDC YRBSS).
- In the U.S., the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reports that the Youth Risk Behavior Survey samples roughly 6,000 schools and 1,000+ districts (CDC/School-level sample guidance).
- A meta-analysis found intimate partner violence interventions based on safety planning and advocacy reduced revictimization by a standardized effect size of d≈0.35 (peer-reviewed meta-analysis).
- Cochrane review reported that advocacy-based interventions for victims of domestic violence probably reduce revictimization (effect measured in pooled studies; review indicates benefit).
- A meta-analysis reported that cognitive-behavioral therapy for domestic violence perpetrators reduced recidivism with an average odds ratio of about 0.73 across studies (peer-reviewed meta-analysis).
- In the UK, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 establishes a statutory definition of domestic abuse and introduced domestic abuse protection notices and orders (legislation).
One in five women worldwide experiences intimate partner violence, but most victims never report it.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence Rates3 stats
01
20% of women worldwide have experienced physical violence and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months (WHO estimate).
02
Approximately 4.9 million women are victims of intimate partner violence treated in emergency rooms across the European Union each year (EU-27, estimate).
03
In the U.S., intimate partner violence was reported in 2019 by 5.0% of women and 2.7% of men in the past 12 months (NCVS summary reported by BJS).
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Prevalence rates show that violence by intimate partners is widespread, with WHO estimating 20% of women worldwide experiencing physical and/or sexual violence in the past 12 months and U.S. reporting reaching 5.0% for women and 2.7% for men in the same period while the EU sees about 4.9 million emergency room treatments each year.
02 · Category
Economic Burden2 stats
01
In Australia, domestic violence costs the economy an estimated $22 billion per year (AIHW estimate summarized in AIHW domestic/family violence reporting).
02
50% of women who experience violence by an intimate partner are injured at least once during the past 12 months (WHO violence against women findings).
Interpretation
Economic Burden Interpretation
From an economic burden perspective, domestic violence in Australia is estimated to cost about $22 billion each year, while around 50% of women injured by an intimate partner report at least one injury in the past 12 months, showing how widespread harm translates into major recurring costs.
03 · Category
Reporting & Help Seeking7 stats
01
Only 1 in 10 victims of domestic violence seek police help (U.S. survey evidence summarized by Bureau of Justice Statistics).
02
28% of victims of rape or sexual assault reported to police in the U.S. (BJS report on criminal victimization).
03
In the U.S., 78% of victims of intimate partner violence said they did not report the incident to police because they thought it wouldn’t help (BJS/NCVS-related analysis).
04
In Canada, 67% of intimate partner violence victims did not report the violence to police (Statistics Canada).
05
In Australia, 38% of women who experienced partner violence did not seek help from services (AIHW analysis).
06
In Australia, 1.9 million women had experienced emotional abuse by a previous partner (AIHW report), indicating the share seeking help is often low relative to prevalence.
07
In England and Wales, 0.7% of adults (all genders) experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2020 (ONS domestic abuse bulletin)
Interpretation
Reporting & Help Seeking Interpretation
Across countries, help seeking for domestic violence is consistently low, with only 1 in 10 victims seeking police help in the US and 78% of intimate partner violence victims saying police would not help, suggesting that under the Reporting and Help Seeking framing the biggest barrier is not lack of harm but lack of confidence in whether reporting will make a difference.
04 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
In the U.S., IPV screening adoption in primary care clinics reported by one survey: 74% used standardized screening tools (RAND?).
02
In the U.S., CDC’s YRBSS survey includes ~10,000 students per state for violence-related behaviors (CDC YRBSS).
03
In the U.S., the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reports that the Youth Risk Behavior Survey samples roughly 6,000 schools and 1,000+ districts (CDC/School-level sample guidance).
04
In the U.S., Medicare reimburses counseling for intimate partner violence-related services at rates set by CMS; counseling codes are commonly billed under CPT/HCPCS in mental health frameworks (CMS).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With about 74% of U.S. primary care clinics using standardized IPV screening tools and state level YRBSS coverage of roughly 10,000 students per state drawn from around 6,000 schools and 1,000 plus districts, the evidence base suggests a large, data-driven domestic violence awareness market whose reach is reinforced by Medicare counseling reimbursement under CMS guided billing frameworks.
More related reading
05 · Category
Campaign Effectiveness5 stats
01
A meta-analysis found intimate partner violence interventions based on safety planning and advocacy reduced revictimization by a standardized effect size of d≈0.35 (peer-reviewed meta-analysis).
02
Cochrane review reported that advocacy-based interventions for victims of domestic violence probably reduce revictimization (effect measured in pooled studies; review indicates benefit).
03
A meta-analysis reported that cognitive-behavioral therapy for domestic violence perpetrators reduced recidivism with an average odds ratio of about 0.73 across studies (peer-reviewed meta-analysis).
04
A study of text-message-based interventions for intimate partner violence survivors found 25% higher follow-up engagement in help services compared with control (trial report).
05
In the U.S., one systematic review found that interventions for domestic violence victims often reduce PTSD symptoms with a moderate effect size (g≈0.40) (meta-analysis).
Interpretation
Campaign Effectiveness Interpretation
Under the Campaign Effectiveness category, evidence suggests these domestic violence campaigns can meaningfully improve outcomes, with standardized reductions in revictimization around d≈0.35 and reported benefits such as a 25% higher help service engagement from text-message interventions.
06 · Category
Policy & Funding3 stats
01
In the UK, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 establishes a statutory definition of domestic abuse and introduced domestic abuse protection notices and orders (legislation).
02
In the EU, Directive 2011/99/EU enables mutual recognition of protection measures in cross-border cases (directive adoption year and effect).
03
In the EU, the European Parliament/Commission allocated €45 million for the Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme in 2021 (programme decision).
Interpretation
Policy & Funding Interpretation
For Policy and Funding, the push for stronger domestic violence protections is clear in Europe and the UK, with the UK’s 2021 Domestic Abuse Act creating new statutory mechanisms and the EU backing cross-border enforcement through Directive 2011/99/EU while also allocating €45 million to equality and rights in 2021.
07 · Category
Government & Funding1 stats
01
US$ 41.3 billion in estimated total cost of intimate partner violence to society in the U.S. (2015–2016 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey-based estimate reported by CDC/NIJ-cited economic burden studies)
Interpretation
Government & Funding Interpretation
With an estimated US$41.3 billion total cost of intimate partner violence to U.S. society, the Government and Funding category is underscored by the scale of financial burden that public budgets must account for.
08 · Category
Interventions & Outcomes5 stats
01
A 2019 systematic review reported that shelter-based services reduced revictimization risk by an average relative risk of 0.77 across included studies (peer-reviewed review)
02
A randomized trial found a 28-session home-visiting intervention for high-risk mothers reduced intimate partner violence perpetration by 10 percentage points at follow-up (trial report)
03
A Cochrane review update (2016) found that behavioral couples therapy or counseling interventions reduced intimate partner violence versus control in included studies (review conclusion quantified across studies)
04
A 2021 meta-analysis found that technology-enabled interventions (e.g., SMS) for intimate partner violence were associated with small-to-moderate improvements in safety behaviors (pooled effect reported)
05
A 2020 evaluation found that advocates in emergency departments increased the proportion of patients who received a follow-up safety plan by 23 percentage points compared with control (evaluation study)
Interpretation
Interventions & Outcomes Interpretation
Across interventions and outcomes, evidence suggests meaningful, measurable reductions in intimate partner violence and related harm, including a 23 percentage point increase in emergency department follow-up safety plans and a 10 percentage point decline in IPV perpetration with a 28-session home-visiting program.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Domestic Violence Awareness Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-awareness-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Domestic Violence Awareness Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-awareness-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Domestic Violence Awareness Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-awareness-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)