When 1 in 4 women experiencing intimate partner violence do not seek help from police, shelter, or medical services, it is a reminder that the harm often stays hidden even when it is widespread. From sexual violence by intimate partners to the ripple effects on sleep, fear, work absences, and healthcare use, the figures reveal how domestic violence gender inequalities show up in everyday life. Here are the latest cross-country statistics that make the patterns harder to ignore, and the contrasts that still challenge what we think we know.
Key Takeaways
- 7.0% of women worldwide experience sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives
- In Canada, police-reported intimate partner violence accounted for 30% of all violent offences against women in 2022 (Statistics Canada).
- In Australia, 1.3% of women reported experiencing sexual violence by a current partner/ex-partner in the last 12 months (ABS Personal Safety Australia latest-release tables).
- Women accounted for 80% of recorded intimate partner violence victims in the European Union (FRA/EU data compilation in EU-wide violence against women reporting).
- About 1 in 4 women who experience intimate partner violence do not seek help from police, shelter, or medical services (FRA/UN data synthesis used in help-seeking analyses).
- In the European Union, 22% of women who experience violence never contact any support services (FRA survey).
- In England and Wales, there were 52,000 victims of domestic abuse recorded by police in the year ending March 2024 who were aged under 20 (ONS release).
- WHO estimates that violence against women accounts for 2.4% of global DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) lost due to non-fatal and fatal health outcomes (Global Health Estimates summary).
- 11% of women reported that they had to miss work or school due to injuries from partner violence
- 56% of countries have legislation recognizing economic abuse in domestic violence contexts
- 48% of women who experienced intimate partner violence reported that it affected their sleep (association estimate)
- 37% of women experiencing intimate partner violence reported fear during daily activities (association estimate)
- 1.4x increased risk of suicidal ideation among women experiencing partner violence (meta-analytic association)
- A systematic review found healthcare costs increased significantly among people experiencing intimate partner violence (median cost multiplier 1.3x in included studies)
- Victim service expenditures for domestic violence accounted for 0.02% of a typical local government budget in a US public finance analysis (case-based estimate)
Domestic violence affects women globally, harming health, finances, and safety, yet many never seek help.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence & Impact1 stats
01
7.0% of women worldwide experience sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their liveshttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
Interpretation
Prevalence & Impact Interpretation
Within the Prevalence and Impact category, 7.0% of women worldwide experience sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives, highlighting that this harm affects a significant share of women across their lifespan.
02 · Category
Prevalence5 stats
01
In Canada, police-reported intimate partner violence accounted for 30% of all violent offences against women in 2022 (Statistics Canada).https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/85-002-x/2024001/article/00003-eng.pdf
02
In Australia, 1.3% of women reported experiencing sexual violence by a current partner/ex-partner in the last 12 months (ABS Personal Safety Australia latest-release tables).https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/latest-release
03
Women accounted for 80% of recorded intimate partner violence victims in the European Union (FRA/EU data compilation in EU-wide violence against women reporting).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Crime_statistics
04
In South Africa, 1 in 5 women report experiencing physical violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months (Stats SA/CS survey-based reported value in national violence survey documentation).https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0305/P03052018.pdf
05
In Mexico, 43.9% of women reported at least one incident of emotional, physical, or sexual violence from a current or former partner (INEGI ENARES/ENDIREH-based statistic).https://www.inegi.org.mx/programas/endireh/2016/
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
Across the prevalence data, intimate partner and partner-related violence is widespread, with figures like 30% of violent offences against women in Canada being police-reported intimate partner violence in 2022 and 1 in 5 women in South Africa reporting physical partner violence in the last 12 months.
03 · Category
Help Seeking & Services2 stats
01
About 1 in 4 women who experience intimate partner violence do not seek help from police, shelter, or medical services (FRA/UN data synthesis used in help-seeking analyses).https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/supporting-victims-of-domestic-violence_3c3d4c3c-en.html
02
In the European Union, 22% of women who experience violence never contact any support services (FRA survey).https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2014/violence-against-women-eu-wide-survey-main-results-report
Interpretation
Help Seeking & Services Interpretation
In the help seeking and services space, about 1 in 4 women who experience intimate partner violence never reach out to police, shelters, or medical support and in the European Union 22% never contact any support services at all, showing a significant gap in access or willingness to use available help.
04 · Category
Outcomes & Impacts2 stats
01
In England and Wales, there were 52,000 victims of domestic abuse recorded by police in the year ending March 2024 who were aged under 20 (ONS release).https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/domesticabuseenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2024
02
WHO estimates that violence against women accounts for 2.4% of global DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) lost due to non-fatal and fatal health outcomes (Global Health Estimates summary).https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/WHOSIS_000001
Interpretation
Outcomes & Impacts Interpretation
In England and Wales, 52,000 domestic abuse victims under 20 recorded by police in the year ending March 2024 show that the outcomes and impacts of domestic violence extend clearly to young people, while globally the WHO estimates violence against women drives 2.4% of total DALYs from both non-fatal and fatal health loss.
More related reading
05 · Category
Global Prevalence1 stats
01
11% of women reported that they had to miss work or school due to injuries from partner violencehttps://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2022/09/estimating-the-extent-of-violence-against-women
Interpretation
Global Prevalence Interpretation
Under the Global Prevalence angle, 11% of women worldwide report having to miss work or school because of injuries from partner violence, underscoring how widespread abuse translates into real disruption to everyday life.
06 · Category
Legal & Policy1 stats
01
56% of countries have legislation recognizing economic abuse in domestic violence contextshttps://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2021/12/virtual-knowledge-centre-on-gender-and-law
Interpretation
Legal & Policy Interpretation
Across the legal and policy landscape, 56% of countries now have legislation that explicitly recognizes economic abuse as part of domestic violence, showing growing but still incomplete legal coverage.
07 · Category
Help Seeking & Outcomes4 stats
01
48% of women who experienced intimate partner violence reported that it affected their sleep (association estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9708294/
02
37% of women experiencing intimate partner violence reported fear during daily activities (association estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8040179/
03
1.4x increased risk of suicidal ideation among women experiencing partner violence (meta-analytic association)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8762251/
04
41% of survivors reported that children witnessed the violence (survey-based share)https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/11/leaflets-for-action-violence-against-women
Interpretation
Help Seeking & Outcomes Interpretation
In the Help Seeking and Outcomes category, women facing intimate partner violence commonly experience significant mental and daily consequences, with 48% reporting sleep disruption and 37% reporting fear in daily activities, alongside a 1.4x higher risk of suicidal ideation, and 41% of survivors saying their children witnessed the abuse.
08 · Category
Economic Impact9 stats
01
A systematic review found healthcare costs increased significantly among people experiencing intimate partner violence (median cost multiplier 1.3x in included studies)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7326703/
02
Victim service expenditures for domestic violence accounted for 0.02% of a typical local government budget in a US public finance analysis (case-based estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6984983/
03
Domestic violence-related workplace absences cost an estimated $3.7 billion annually in the United States (economic cost estimate)https://census.gov/library/publications/2010/demo/p60-238.html
04
Intimate partner violence costs the European Union an estimated €79 billion per year (economic cost estimate)https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/infographic-vawg-cost-estimate_en.pdf
05
A UK estimate puts the annual cost of domestic abuse at £66.0 billionhttps://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/violence-against-women-and-girls/domestic-abuse
06
A study reported that partner violence is associated with increased use of emergency department services by 1.6x (observational association)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2748673
07
In a global modeling study, violence against women reduced lifetime earnings by an estimated 1.5% across affected cohorts (model estimate)https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60298-6/fulltext
08
A global burden study estimated that intimate partner violence accounts for 9.7% of global YLDs for women aged 15–44 (model estimate)https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)30640-2/fulltext
09
A study in a health system found intimate partner violence-related costs were $1,200higher per patient episode on average (average cost difference)https://www.ajph.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305206
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Across the Economic Impact evidence, intimate partner and domestic violence creates sizable financial burdens, from healthcare costs rising by a median 1.3 times and emergency department use climbing 1.6 times, to national estimates reaching $3.7 billion in US workplace absence costs and $79 billion per year in the European Union.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Domestic Violence Gender Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-gender-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Domestic Violence Gender Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-gender-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Domestic Violence Gender Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-gender-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)