Domestic violence in relationships is still far more common than most people expect, even in countries with robust support systems. In Canada, 1 in 5 women reported intimate partner violence in the 12 months before the survey, yet only 34% of victims in a U.S. national analysis said they reported it to police, a gap that keeps showing up across measures. The following statistics track what happens after the harm starts, from pregnancy and health impacts to police pathways, homelessness risk, and costs that ripple far beyond the household.
Key Takeaways
- In Canada, 1 in 5 women (20%) experienced violence by an intimate partner in the 12 months prior to the survey—Statistics Canada estimate
- In Australia, 30% of women who experienced partner violence reported the violence occurred during pregnancy—AIC summary figure
- Only 34% of women who experienced IPV in the past 12 months reported it to police in one U.S. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) analysis summarized by DOJ
- In Canada, 1 in 5 police-reported assaults are domestic-related (Statistics Canada analysis figure)
- In Australia, 87% of victim services report referrals/engagement are driven by police or courts in domestic violence cases (AIHW reporting on DV service pathways)
- In the U.S., 1 in 7 women who experience IPV seek medical care for injuries—study summary based on CDC surveillance findings
- IPV is associated with a 2x higher risk of adverse birth outcomes including low birthweight (peer-reviewed synthesis)
- Up to 60% of IPV survivors experience mental health effects such as depression or PTSD symptoms (systematic review estimate)
- In the U.S., 38% of IPV incidents involve alcohol use by perpetrator in offender-focused studies (peer-reviewed summary)
- In the U.S., having multiple substance use disorders is associated with substantially higher IPV perpetration risk (systematic review estimate ~2x)
- In the U.S., unemployment is associated with increased IPV perpetration risk: meta-analysis reports a significant positive association (odds ratio range)
- $75 million in federal funding was allocated for the STOP program in FY2022 (ACF domestic violence funding page)
- In the EU, 23 member states provide specialized shelters meeting minimum standards (Council of Europe GREVIO/CoE reports)
- In 2023, the European Union DAPHNE program funded projects for violence against women totaling €14+ million in specific call outcomes (EU CORDIS project results)
- In high-income settings, intimate partner violence accounts for 11% of violent death of women and girls (WHO violence against women violence burden framing)
One in five Canadian women report intimate partner violence, highlighting an urgent need for prevention and support.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence & Scope2 stats
01
In Canada, 1 in 5 women (20%) experienced violence by an intimate partner in the 12 months prior to the survey—Statistics Canada estimate
02
In Australia, 30% of women who experienced partner violence reported the violence occurred during pregnancy—AIC summary figure
Interpretation
Prevalence & Scope Interpretation
Under the Prevalence and Scope angle, partner violence is widespread with about 1 in 5 women in Canada experiencing it in the prior 12 months, and in Australia 30% of women who faced partner violence reported it occurring during pregnancy.
02 · Category
Help Seeking & Reporting4 stats
01
Only 34% of women who experienced IPV in the past 12 months reported it to police in one U.S. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) analysis summarized by DOJ
02
In Canada, 1 in 5 police-reported assaults are domestic-related (Statistics Canada analysis figure)
03
In Australia, 87% of victim services report referrals/engagement are driven by police or courts in domestic violence cases (AIHW reporting on DV service pathways)
04
In Australia, 52% of domestic violence offenders were identified through police reports (AIC/ABS pathway figure presented in AIC/AIHW materials)
Interpretation
Help Seeking & Reporting Interpretation
Despite the need for help, reporting remains limited and highly shaped by law enforcement, with only 34% of women who experienced IPV in the past 12 months reporting it to police in the US, while Canada and Australia show that domestic violence contact and offender identification often funnel through police and courts, accounting for 1 in 5 assaults in Canada and driving 87% of victim service referrals in Australia.
03 · Category
Health Impacts & Costs12 stats
01
In the U.S., 1 in 7 women who experience IPV seek medical care for injuries—study summary based on CDC surveillance findings
02
IPV is associated with a 2x higher risk of adverse birth outcomes including low birthweight (peer-reviewed synthesis)
03
Up to 60% of IPV survivors experience mental health effects such as depression or PTSD symptoms (systematic review estimate)
04
Intimate partner violence accounts for a substantial burden of disease: WHO estimates IPV contributes to 5% of the global burden of non-fatal health loss for women aged 15–44 (WHO Global Health Estimates framing)
05
In Australia, domestic and family violence costs the Australian economy an estimated $22 billion per year (Deloitte Access Economics estimate commonly cited by government sources)
06
In the U.S., IPV victims experience higher utilization of emergency department services: 1.7 times the rate compared with non-IPV controls (peer-reviewed ED utilization study)
07
In a U.S. study, intimate partner violence is associated with 2.5x greater odds of PTSD diagnosis (peer-reviewed research)
08
In a systematic review, women exposed to IPV have about a 2x increased risk of depression symptoms (meta-analytic findings)
09
Intimate partner violence survivors have elevated odds of chronic pain: pooled estimate shows ~1.6x higher odds (systematic review/meta-analysis)
10
In the U.S., 44% of victims of intimate partner violence report fear for their safety—related behavioral consequence (peer-reviewed study summary)
11
In Europe, 20% of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner or family member (Council of Europe/UN reporting summary using Eurostat/Istanbul Convention references)
12
In Canada, 2021 police-reported homicides: 30% of female homicide victims were killed by a spouse/common-law partner (StatsCan)
Interpretation
Health Impacts & Costs Interpretation
Across the Health Impacts & Costs category, intimate partner violence is linked to major medical and societal burden with evidence such as up to 60% of survivors experiencing depression or PTSD symptoms and WHO estimating IPV accounts for about 5% of the global burden of non fatal health loss for women aged 15 to 44.
04 · Category
Risk Factors & Mechanisms15 stats
01
In the U.S., 38% of IPV incidents involve alcohol use by perpetrator in offender-focused studies (peer-reviewed summary)
02
In the U.S., having multiple substance use disorders is associated with substantially higher IPV perpetration risk (systematic review estimate ~2x)
03
In the U.S., unemployment is associated with increased IPV perpetration risk: meta-analysis reports a significant positive association (odds ratio range)
04
In a meta-analysis, childhood exposure to violence increases later IPV perpetration odds by about 2x (peer-reviewed meta-analytic finding)
05
In a systematic review, controlling behaviors by a partner are reported by about 40% of IPV victims (reviewed survey synthesis)
06
In the U.S., 54% of IPV perpetrators report attitudes supportive of violence are associated with higher IPV likelihood (peer-reviewed risk factor analysis)
07
In the U.S., women with a partner who uses violence previously have much higher risk: 3x higher odds reported in longitudinal studies (peer-reviewed)
08
In a UK cohort analysis, prior police contact for domestic-related incidents predicts repeat victimization: 1 in 3 victims experience repeat incidents within 12 months (ID data in official analysis)
09
In the U.S., 1 in 5 IPV victims report that the perpetrator had access to firearms (NISVS-related publication summaries)
10
In a study, firearm access by an IPV perpetrator is associated with a substantially higher risk of homicide (peer-reviewed evidence reports 2–3x increased risk)
11
In the U.S., 50% of IPV homicides involve a weapon (peer-reviewed homicide analysis)
12
In the U.S., 1 in 4 victims report technology-facilitated abuse (e.g., monitoring, threats) as part of IPV (peer-reviewed study)
13
In a systematic review, electronic surveillance and stalking via technology occurs in roughly 20–30% of IPV contexts (systematic review range)
14
A woman experiencing IPV has an estimated 1.5x higher chance of experiencing homelessness (U.S./peer-reviewed housing-IPV studies synthesis)
15
In the U.S., victims report that abuse escalates over time in 30–40% of cases (longitudinal IPV escalation studies)
Interpretation
Risk Factors & Mechanisms Interpretation
Across the Risk Factors and Mechanisms evidence, IPV is closely linked to escalating danger mechanisms, with alcohol use present in 38% of incidents, prior controlling behavior reported by about 40% of victims, and abuse escalating over time in 30 to 40% of cases.
05 · Category
Policy, Programs & Systems4 stats
01
$75 million in federal funding was allocated for the STOP program in FY2022 (ACF domestic violence funding page)
02
In the EU, 23 member states provide specialized shelters meeting minimum standards (Council of Europe GREVIO/CoE reports)
03
In 2023, the European Union DAPHNE program funded projects for violence against women totaling €14+ million in specific call outcomes (EU CORDIS project results)
04
In 2023, EU funding calls for “Violence against women” included a total budget of €10 million for funded actions in one call topic (EU Commission call text)
Interpretation
Policy, Programs & Systems Interpretation
Under the Policy, Programs & Systems lens, 2022 to 2023 funding signals sustained state-backed action, with $75 million allocated to the US STOP program in FY2022 alongside €14 million in EU DAPHNE violence against women project results in 2023 and €10 million in one EU “Violence against women” call topic.
More related reading
06 · Category
Risk And Impacts2 stats
01
In high-income settings, intimate partner violence accounts for 11% of violent death of women and girls (WHO violence against women violence burden framing)
02
In Canada, 28% of women who experienced intimate partner violence reported that the violence affected their ability to work (Statistics Canada-based analysis in the Canadian government report)
Interpretation
Risk And Impacts Interpretation
Under the risk and impacts framing, intimate partner violence drives major real world harm, accounting for 11% of violent deaths of women and girls in high income settings and limiting work for 28% of Canadian women who experience it.
07 · Category
Prevalence2 stats
01
14% of women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months
02
In Canada, 55% of people who experienced intimate partner violence in the previous 5 years reported that the violence had lasted for 5 or more years (Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics)
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
In the prevalence of domestic violence in relationships, 14% of women worldwide report experiencing physical and or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months, and in Canada 55% of those who experienced intimate partner violence say it lasted 5 or more years, showing both how widespread it is and how often it persists.
08 · Category
Service Use2 stats
01
In the United States, 43.5% of women who experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner reported that they received counseling or therapy
02
In England and Wales, 53,000 women sought support from a domestic abuse support organization in the year ending March 2023 (ONS bulletin domestic abuse, year ending March 2023)
Interpretation
Service Use Interpretation
From a service-use perspective, women in the United States who experience severe abuse are still far from reaching counseling with only 43.5% reporting therapy or counseling, while in England and Wales 53,000 women sought help from domestic abuse support organizations in the year ending March 2023, suggesting service access and uptake remain uneven across settings.
09 · Category
Economic Impact1 stats
01
In the UK, the estimated annual cost of domestic abuse to the economy is £66 billion (UK Parliament briefing referencing the estimate used by government)
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
The estimated annual cost of domestic abuse in the UK is £66 billion, highlighting that the economic impact is substantial and underscores how domestic violence strains the wider economy rather than affecting individuals alone.
10 · Category
Criminal Justice2 stats
01
In Canada, police-reported intimate partner violence accounted for 23% of all police-reported assaults against women (Statistics Canada, police-reported crime data analysis)
02
In Australia, 62% of domestic and family violence incidents reported to police involved a current or former partner (Australian Bureau of Statistics data as presented in ABS publication)
Interpretation
Criminal Justice Interpretation
From a criminal justice perspective, police data show that intimate partner violence is a major driver of assaults on women in Canada at 23%, and that in Australia 62% of domestic and family violence incidents reported to police involve a current or former partner.
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
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Domestic Violence In Relationships Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-relationships-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Domestic Violence In Relationships Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-relationships-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Domestic Violence In Relationships Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-relationships-statistics.
Sources & references
46 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
www150.statcan.gc.caaic.gov.au
bjs.ojp.govaihw.gov.au
ncbi.nlm.nih.govpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
apps.who.intaph.gov.au
rm.coe.int
justiceinspectorates.gov.uk
hsph.harvard.edu
acf.hhs.gov
cordis.europa.euec.europa.euwho.intjustice.gc.ca
unwomen.org
cdc.gov
ons.gov.uk
researchbriefings.files.parliament.ukabs.gov.au
+25 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)