Intimate partner violence costs the United States over eight billion dollars annually in medical and mental health expenses. More than forty percent of women who experience this violence suffer injuries requiring medical care. These statistics reveal a national crisis with profound personal and societal costs.
Key Takeaways
- IPV costs US $8.3 billion annually in medical and mental health care, CDC
- Victims lose 8 million paid workdays per year due to IPV, CDC
- 42% of women IPV victims suffer injuries requiring medical care, NISVS
- 70% of perpetrators are current or former intimate partners, BJS
- 85-90% of abusers are male, NCADV
- Alcohol involved in 25-50% of IPV incidents, NIAAA
- According to the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 2016/2017, approximately 41% of women in the US have experienced some form of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime
- The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reports that from 2003 to 2012, about 70% of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner or family member
- NCADV states that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner in the US
- 50 states mandate arrest in DV cases, but conviction rates <20%, NIJ
- Only 34% of IPV victims report to police, BJS NCVS 2021
- 2,000+ DV shelters serve 1.5 million women/children yearly, HHS
- Women aged 18-24 experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence at 13.9 per 1,000, per BJS 2020
- Black women are murdered by intimate partners at 2.5 times the rate of white women, according to Violence Policy Center
- CDC NISVS: 44% of lesbian women and 61% of bisexual women experienced IPV
Intimate partner violence costs billions and harms millions through injuries, lost work, and long term health effects.
Related reading
01 · Category
Impacts20 stats
01
IPV costs US $8.3 billion annually in medical and mental health care, CDC
02
Victims lose 8 million paid workdays per year due to IPV, CDC
03
42% of women IPV victims suffer injuries requiring medical care, NISVS
04
Lifetime economic cost per victim: $103,767for women, $23,414 for men, CDC
05
37% of women seek medical care post-IPV, BJS
06
PTSD prevalence: 31% in IPV victims vs 4% general pop, NIMH
07
Suicide attempts 2.9x higher among female IPV victims, CDC
08
Children witnessing DV: 7 million annually, 15-30% develop issues, DOJ
09
IPV victims 2x more likely to have heart disease, stroke, asthma, CDC
10
Homelessness: DV primary cause for 38% women shelters, NNEDV
11
Annual medical costs for female victims: $5.8 billion, CDC
12
Depression rates: 50% in battered women, APA
13
18% of IPV victims miss work, costing $1.8 billion lost productivity, CDC
14
Arthritis 28% higher in IPV victims, CDC NISVS
15
Child maltreatment 6-9x higher in DV homes, Child Welfare
16
Victims 15x more likely to abuse alcohol, SAMHSA
17
Lifetime cost to society: $3.6 trillion for women who experienced rape/IPV as children, CDC
18
41% of female victims develop chronic health issues, NISVS
19
Job loss: 25% of victims quit or lose jobs due to abuse, NCADV
20
92% of victims suffer long-term emotional effects, The Hotline
Interpretation
Impacts Interpretation
The sheer weight of these numbers reveals a national crisis where the physical and emotional toll on victims is matched only by the staggering economic burden it inflicts on society as a whole.
02 · Category
Perpetrator Demographics20 stats
01
70% of perpetrators are current or former intimate partners, BJS
02
85-90% of abusers are male, NCADV
03
Alcohol involved in 25-50% of IPV incidents, NIAAA
04
60-80% of child abusers also abuse their partner, Child Welfare Info
05
Abusers often have criminal histories: 50-75% prior arrests, DOJ
06
High unemployment correlates with 3x higher perpetration rates, Urban Institute
07
40% of perpetrators exhibit stalking behaviors, CDC NISVS
08
Male perpetrators aged 18-34 commit 50% of IPV assaults, BJS NCVS
09
Batterers with PTSD 4x more likely to perpetrate, VA study
10
30% of perpetrators have mental health disorders untreated, SAMHSA
11
Repeat offenders: 67% reoffend within 2 years post-arrest, BJS
12
Abusers controlling finances in 99% of cases, NNEDV
13
16% of perpetrators use weapons in assaults, FBI UCR
14
Perpetrators with prior DV convictions 10x more violent, NIJ
15
75% of abusers grew up witnessing DV, ACEs study
16
Male batterers average 6 prior arrests, DOJ
17
50% of perpetrators deny abuse occurred, per victim reports, The Hotline
18
IPV homicides: 75% by male partners, VPC
19
Abusers with substance abuse: 40-60% of cases, CDC
20
62% of perpetrators are employed full-time, BJS
Interpretation
Perpetrator Demographics Interpretation
The numbers paint a grim portrait of intimate partner violence as a predictable, gendered epidemic, meticulously patterned from childhood exposure to a cycle of power, control, and criminality that is statistically mundane yet profoundly destructive.
03 · Category
Prevalence29 stats
01
According to the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 2016/2017, approximately 41% of women in the US have experienced some form of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime
02
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reports that from 2003 to 2012, about 70% of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner or family member
03
NCADV states that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner in the US
04
In 2021, the National Domestic Violence Hotline received over 688,000 calls for help
05
CDC data shows that 48.4% of women and 48.8% of men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime
06
A 2022 study by the Urban Institute found that domestic violence incidents increased by 8.1% during the COVID-19 pandemic in select US cities
07
DOJ reports that in 2019, there were approximately 878,000 incidents of intimate partner violence reported to police
08
Futures Without Violence notes that 90% of domestic violence occurs when children are present
09
The NISVS 2016/2017 reports that 25% of women experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner
10
BJS data indicates that from 1993 to 2008, the rate of intimate partner violence against women declined by 64%
11
In the US, 1 in 15 women and 1 in 38 men have been injured as a result of intimate partner violence, per CDC NISVS
12
A 2020 report by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) states that over 10 million people experience domestic violence annually
13
According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), there were 89,868 reported cases of aggravated assault by intimate partners in 2020
14
The Hotline data shows that 74% of callers report emotional abuse as part of their domestic violence experience
15
CDC estimates that 35.6% of women have experienced coercive control by an intimate partner
16
BJS reports that 80% of intimate partner violence victims are women
17
A 2019 study found that 1 in 6 women have been stalked by an intimate partner
18
NCADV cites that domestic violence hotlines see a 30% increase in calls during major sports seasons
19
In 2018, approximately 20 people per minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner in the US, per NCADV
20
DOJ data shows that 15% of all violent crime is intimate partner violence
21
NISVS reports that 26% of gay men and 37.3% of bisexual men have experienced IPV
22
12% of women and 12.3% of men report being slapped by an intimate partner, per CDC
23
BJS notes that nonfatal intimate partner victimization rates were 7.4 per 1,000 females age 12+ in 2021
24
Over 60% of domestic violence occurs at home, according to police reports analyzed by DOJ
25
CDC NISVS: Lifetime stalking prevalence by intimate partner is 9.2% for women and 2.5% for men
26
In 2022, domestic violence accounted for 21% of all violent victimizations, per BJS
27
NCADV reports that 1 in 5 women have been physically or sexually abused by a dating partner
28
FBI UCR data: Simple assault by intimate partners numbered 589,007 in 2019
29
TheHotline.org: 93% of teen boys and 87% of teen girls believe abuse is wrong but don't know it's abuse
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of domestic violence in America reveals a nation where love's battlefield is statistically more dangerous than any foreign war, yet we still treat it as a private skirmish.
More related reading
04 · Category
Response19 stats
01
50 states mandate arrest in DV cases, but conviction rates <20%, NIJ
02
Only 34% of IPV victims report to police, BJS NCVS 2021
03
2,000+ DV shelters serve 1.5 million women/children yearly, HHS
04
VAWA funded $4.5 billion since 1994 for DV services, DOJ
05
Restraining orders issued: 1.5 million annually, but 50% violated, NIJ
06
Batterer intervention programs reduce recidivism by 33%, BJS meta-analysis
07
Hotline calls: 650,000+ in 2022, answered 92%, The Hotline
08
40 states have mandatory reporting by healthcare, but varies, AMA
09
Federal funding for DV: $600 million in FY2022 via OWWP, DOJ
10
Prosecution rates: 50-70% of DV arrests lead to charges, BJS
11
85% of counties lack DV services, NCADV
12
Fatal Risk Assessment tool used in 20 states reduces lethality 64%, NCADV
13
School protocols: 30 states require DV education in curricula, CDC
14
Immigrant protections: U/T visas granted to 10,000 DV victims yearly, USCIS
15
Prison DV programs serve 100,000 inmates annually, BOP
16
911 calls for DV: 30% of all calls, but only 50% lead to arrest, FBI
17
Evidence-based programs: 20% reduction in child exposure via home visits, CDC
18
Gun removal laws in 25 states prevent 10% DV homicides, Everytown
19
Tech safety: 75% apps misused by abusers, NNEDV
Interpretation
Response Interpretation
We've built an intricate legal and social safety net for domestic violence survivors, yet it remains tragically frayed by low reporting, underfunded services, and the sobering reality that our best interventions are still only catching a fraction of the fall.
05 · Category
Victim Demographics30 stats
01
Women aged 18-24 experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence at 13.9 per 1,000, per BJS 2020
02
Black women are murdered by intimate partners at 2.5 times the rate of white women, according to Violence Policy Center
03
CDC NISVS: 44% of lesbian women and 61% of bisexual women experienced IPV
04
Hispanic women face IPV at rates 1.3 times higher than non-Hispanic whites, per CDC
05
Women with disabilities are 40% more likely to experience IPV, per NCADV
06
85% of domestic violence victims are women, per National Network to End Domestic Violence
07
Pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than any other cause of pregnancy-related death, per CDC
08
American Indian/Alaska Native women experience murder by intimate partners at 10 times the rate of white women, VPC
09
1 in 3 Asian/Pacific Islander women report IPV, higher than general population, per CDC NISVS
10
Women in rural areas experience 25% higher rates of IPV than urban women, per DOJ
11
Transgender individuals face IPV at rates 2.2 times higher than cisgender, per National Center for Transgender Equality
12
Elderly women over 60 report IPV at 3.5 per 1,000, per BJS
13
Low-income women (<$25k/year) have 3x higher IPV rates, CDC data
14
50% of homeless women have fled DV as cause, per US Conference of Mayors
15
College women experience dating violence at 27%, per CDC
16
Native Hawaiian women have IPV rape prevalence of 50%, highest rate, CDC NISVS
17
Women veterans experience IPV at 1.3x civilian rate, VA study
18
Immigrant women are 3x less likely to report due to status fears, DOJ
19
Battered women in poverty: 60% of victims below poverty line, NCADV
20
White women: 35% lifetime IPV, Black: 45%, Hispanic: 37%, per NISVS
21
Men aged 18-24 have highest male IPV rate at 10.3 per 1,000, BJS
22
40% of male victims are LGBTQ+, per CDC
23
Male victims less likely to seek help: only 10% contact police vs 27% women, BJS
24
1 in 7 men experience severe physical IPV, CDC NISVS
25
Gay men: 26% lifetime rape victimization by partner, CDC
26
Bisexual men have highest male IPV stalking rate at 23.5%, NISVS
27
Male victims of color report higher rates: Black men 1.4x white, DOJ
28
70% of male victims are married or cohabiting, BJS NCVS
29
Young men 18-24: 8% annual IPV victimization, CDC
30
Rural men face IPV at 15% higher rate due to isolation, Rural Health Info
Interpretation
Victim Demographics Interpretation
This grim statistical chorus, where every demographic has its own devastating verse, sings a single, brutal truth: in America, violence at home is not a private misfortune but a pervasive, patterned, and profoundly unequal public crisis.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Domestic Violence In The United States Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-the-united-states-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Domestic Violence In The United States Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-the-united-states-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Domestic Violence In The United States Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-the-united-states-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level