One in five women worldwide experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months. In the U.S., only 1 in 10 domestic violence victims seek police help, and 78% of victims who did not report said they thought police would not help. These figures show both the scale of abuse and the depth of underreporting.
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
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, victims often do not report or seek help, with only 1 in 10 seeking police help in the U.S. and over half of intimate partner violence victims not reporting in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, showing a major barrier in reporting and help seeking.
02 · 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 lens, the evidence shows real gains across advocacy, perpetrator behavior change, and survivor engagement, including a 25% higher help service follow up engagement from text message interventions and a moderate reduction in PTSD symptoms for domestic violence victims in the U.S.
03 · 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, evidence consistently shows measurable reductions in intimate partner violence and related harms, with shelter-based services lowering revictimization risk (average relative risk 0.77) and home visiting cutting perpetration by about 10%.
More related reading
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 surveys showing 74% of U.S. primary care clinics using standardized IPV screening tools and CDC youth surveillance drawing about 10,000 students per state and roughly 6,000 in the YRBSS sample, the market for domestic violence awareness and related services is sizable and sustained across both healthcare delivery and large-scale youth programming.
05 · 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
Under the Prevalence Rates category, intimate partner violence is alarmingly common, with 20% of women worldwide experiencing physical and/or sexual violence in the past 12 months, about 4.9 million women treated in EU emergency rooms each year, and in the US 5.0% of women and 2.7% of men reporting intimate partner violence in the past 12 months.
06 · Category
Industry Overview6 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).
04
In Australia, domestic violence costs the economy an estimated $22 billion per year (AIHW estimate summarized in AIHW domestic/family violence reporting).
05
50% of women who experience violence by an intimate partner are injured at least once during the past 12 months (WHO violence against women findings).
06
US$ 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
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across regions, domestic violence is treated as a growing, formal policy and funding priority, with costs running to US$41.3 billion in the United States and $22 billion per year in Australia, while half of women injured by an intimate partner report an injury at least once in the past 12 months.
report visual · Comparison
Reporting to police is low—most victims don’t report
Across countries, a majority of intimate partner violence victims do not report to police, often because they believe reporting won’t help.
In the U.S., 78% of victims of intimate partner violence said they did not report the incident to police because they th78%
In Canada, 67% of intimate partner violence victims did not report the violence to police (Statistics Canada).
67%
In Australia, 38% of women who experienced partner violence did not seek help from services (AIHW analysis).
38%
Only 1 in 10 victims of domestic violence seek police help (U.S. survey evidence summarized by Bureau of Justice Statist
1
source-verifiedbjs.ojp.gov · www150.statcan.gc.ca · aihw.gov.au
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)