Domestic violence in the US does not just hurt in the moment. Victims miss 8 million workdays every year and the CDC estimates the lifetime economic cost per victim averages $103,000 to $3.6M. Even with that scale, many people never reach services, with only 20% of victims reporting to police, so the full picture requires more than headlines.
Key Takeaways
- IPV victims miss 8 million workdays annually due to injuries, CDC
- DV causes $5.8 billion in direct medical costs yearly in US, CDC estimate
- 37% of female IPV victims require medical care, 28% miss work, NISVS
- Only 34 states mandate batterer intervention programs
- 50% of DV calls to police result in no arrest, DOJ data
- VAWA funded 1,000+ new victim services since 1994
- 85-90% of abusers are male, per law enforcement data, DOJ
- Male perpetrators commit 96% of reported intimate partner homicides, FBI data
- 30% of male perpetrators have prior criminal records for violence, BJS
- According to the CDC, about 41% of women and 26% of men in the US have experienced some form of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime
- The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) reports that 1 in 4 women (25.1%) and 1 in 9 men (10.4%) experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner
- In the US, 48.4% of women and 48.8% of men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime, per NISVS 2016-2017 data
- Women aged 18-24 are 2.3 times more likely to experience IPV than older women, CDC NISVS
- Black women experience IPV at 1.5 times the rate of white women (43.7% vs 34.6% lifetime), CDC NISVS
- 55% of female murder victims are killed by intimate partners, DOJ data
Domestic violence costs the US trillions, harms health and work, and its impacts linger long after abuse.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health and Economic Impacts29 stats
01
IPV victims miss 8 million workdays annually due to injuries, CDC
02
DV causes $5.8 billion in direct medical costs yearly in US, CDC estimate
03
37% of female IPV victims require medical care, 28% miss work, NISVS
04
Victims lose $1.5-2 billion in productivity annually from DV
05
40-45% of women suffer injuries requiring medical attention from IPV
06
DV-related depression affects 48% of victims, PTSD 45%, CDC
07
Suicide attempt rate 2x higher among IPV victims
08
Heart disease risk increases 70% for battered women, CDC study
09
17% of adult women and 4% men link alcohol problems to IPV trauma, NISVS
10
Victims incur $103 million in annual housing costs due to fleeing DV
11
92% of victims report chronic health issues post-abuse
12
DV leads to 2 million injuries annually, half to women, CDC
13
Lifetime economic cost per victim averages $103,000-$3.6M, CDC
14
50-60% of victims develop anxiety disorders
15
Unplanned pregnancies from DV coercion: 25% of cases
16
DV victims 16% more likely to have stroke, health impact
17
Children exposed to DV 3x more likely to face mental health issues
18
Annual rape-related costs $127 billion, including IPV, CDC
19
30% of victims hospitalized yearly from injuries
20
Economic abuse causes 98% of victims to lose jobs or income
21
DV accounts for 15% of violent crime victimizations, BJS costs
22
Mental health treatment for victims costs $7 billion yearly, estimate
23
Arthritis risk doubles for female IPV survivors, CDC
24
67% of victims report sleep disorders from trauma
25
Total societal cost of IPV $3.6 trillion over lifetimes, CDC
26
Homelessness from DV affects 38% of homeless women, economic fallout
27
Asthma exacerbations 50% higher in child witnesses
28
Victims 1.5x more likely to smoke, health behavior change, CDC
29
Legal fees for victims average $10,000+ per case
Interpretation
Health and Economic Impacts Interpretation
Behind every staggering statistic on domestic violence lies a human ledger of shattered productivity, soaring medical bills, and stolen futures, revealing a national crisis that bleeds not just bodies but bank accounts and souls.
02 · Category
Legal and Service Responses26 stats
01
Only 34 states mandate batterer intervention programs
02
50% of DV calls to police result in no arrest, DOJ data
03
VAWA funded 1,000+ new victim services since 1994
04
Only 20% of victims report to police, underreporting, CDC NISVS
05
75% of shelters turn away victims due to lack of space, NCADV
06
Restraining orders violated in 69% of cases within 2 years
07
National DV Hotline receives 300,000 calls yearly
08
Only 17 states criminalize coercive control as DV
09
Prosecution rates for DV homicides pre-VAWA were 70%, now 86%, DOJ
10
2,000 DV shelters serve 1.5 million women/children annually
11
Police response time averages 10 minutes, but lethality high
12
Batterer programs reduce recidivism by 33%, meta-analysis
13
85% of judges in DV courts trained since 2000
14
Victim advocates assist 50,000 court cases yearly, OVW
15
No-drop prosecution policies in 20 states increase convictions 50%
16
Hotline connects 80% of callers to local services
17
Federal funding for DV services $600M annually via VAWA
18
60% of victims receive counseling post-crisis
19
Cyberstalking laws cover 48 states, but enforcement low
20
Protective orders issued in 1.5M cases yearly, DOJ BJS
21
Only 10% of male victims access shelters, gap in services
22
911 calls for DV: 25% of all violent crime calls
23
Reauthorization of VAWA 2022 expanded tribal jurisdiction
24
Legal aid for DV victims funded for 100,000 women yearly
25
Conviction rates for DV assault average 50-70%, varying by state
26
40 states have mandatory arrest laws for DV
Interpretation
Legal and Service Responses Interpretation
Our system offers a patchwork of reactive bandaids—from hotlines to hopeful laws—while still failing to reliably prevent the violence in the first place or protect everyone seeking safety.
03 · Category
Perpetrator Characteristics28 stats
01
85-90% of abusers are male, per law enforcement data, DOJ
02
Male perpetrators commit 96% of reported intimate partner homicides, FBI data
03
30% of male perpetrators have prior criminal records for violence, BJS
04
Abusers often have higher rates of unemployment (40%)
05
60-70% of abusers use alcohol or drugs during incidents, CDC
06
Male batterers are 4 times more likely to have antisocial personality disorder
07
50% of perpetrators witnessed DV in childhood, cycle of violence
08
Perpetrators stalk victims post-separation in 80% of cases, DOJ
09
25% of perpetrators are military veterans with PTSD links
10
Abusers control reproductive choices in 25% of cases
11
Male IPV perpetrators average 6.1 assaults per victim lifetime, CDC NISVS
12
40% of perpetrators threaten suicide to manipulate victims
13
Perpetrators often isolate victims from family (89%)
14
Batterers recidivate at 30-60% within 2 years post-arrest, DOJ
15
75% of abusers minimize or deny violence, per victim reports
16
Perpetrators with jealousy issues commit 70% of severe assaults
17
20% of perpetrators are women in male victimization cases, CDC
18
Abusers frequently use weapons in 30% of homicides, FBI
19
65% of perpetrators have animal cruelty history, link to violence
20
Male abusers average age 30-40, peak offending, BJS
21
50% of child abusers also perpetrate IPV
22
Perpetrators escalate violence post-reporting in 75% cases
23
35% of abusers have depression or mental health issues, CDC
24
Firearms used in 50% of female intimate partner homicides
25
Abusers sabotage victim employment in 60% cases, economic control
26
90% of perpetrators blame victim for abuse, psychological tactic
27
Repeat offenders account for 80% of DV arrests, DOJ data
28
Perpetrators in LGBTQ relationships show similar male dominance patterns
Interpretation
Perpetrator Characteristics Interpretation
Despite the pervasive myth that domestic violence is an uncontrollable crime of passion, this grim portrait reveals it to be a methodical tool of patriarchal terror, primarily wielded by men who are predictably jealous, frequently criminal, systematically manipulative, and tragically well-practiced.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prevalence Rates30 stats
01
According to the CDC, about 41% of women and 26% of men 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 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) reports that 1 in 4 women (25.1%) and 1 in 9 men (10.4%) experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner
03
In the US, 48.4% of women and 48.8% of men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime, per NISVS 2016-2017 data
04
Approximately 23.2% of women and 14.0% of men reported experiencing severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives, according to CDC NISVS
05
Lifetime prevalence of rape by an intimate partner is 18.3% for women and 1.2% for men in the US, CDC data shows
06
Over 12 million people over the age of 18 in the US are victims of stalking by an intimate partner each year, per CDC estimates
07
In 2010, 1 in 5 women (20.1%) and 1 in 71 men (1.4%) reported being raped by an intimate partner, NISVS 2010 data
08
About 35.6% of US women and 28.5% of men experienced coercive control by an intimate partner in their lifetime
09
Annual prevalence shows 10% of women and 4% of men experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, CDC NISVS
10
Nearly half of all women and men in the US have experienced psychological aggression from an intimate partner, per 2016-2017 NISVS
11
1 in 3 US women (35.6%) and 1 in 4 men (28.5%) have faced stalking or psychological aggression by an intimate partner
12
In the past year, 8.3 million US women and 7.1 million men experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner, CDC
13
Lifetime stalking prevalence by intimate partner is 9.2% for women and 2.5% for men, NISVS data
14
24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the US, CDC estimate
15
Over 10 million US adults experience domestic violence annually, per NCADV
16
1 in 15 US women (6.7%) and 1 in 37 men (2.7%) were raped by an intimate partner in their lifetime, CDC NISVS 2016-2017
17
Annual contact sexual violence by intimate partner affects 2.3% of women and 1.4% of men
18
Severe physical violence annual prevalence: 2.3% women, 2.0% men, CDC
19
Psychological aggression past-year: 11% women, 10.4% men, NISVS
20
Lifetime intimate partner stalking: 32.6% women, 27.4% men experienced some form
21
In US, 15.8 million children are exposed to intimate partner violence annually, CDC
22
90-95% of domestic violence victims are women, per DOJ estimates
23
1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, NCADV
24
1 in 7 men experience severe physical IPV, CDC
25
88% of US domestic violence shelters serve women primarily
26
Homicide by intimate partner accounts for 15% of all homicides, DOJ BJS
27
50% of all homeless women and children in US flee DV
28
1 in 6 US women has been beaten or sexually assaulted by partner
29
Annual DV costs US $8.3 billion in medical and mental health care, CDC
30
40-60% of men who abuse women also abuse children
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Behind the sobering statistics lies a silent epidemic where nearly half of all Americans have endured the intimate betrayal of psychological or physical aggression from a partner, revealing a home-front crisis far more common than anyone would like to admit.
05 · Category
Victim Characteristics30 stats
01
Women aged 18-24 are 2.3 times more likely to experience IPV than older women, CDC NISVS
02
Black women experience IPV at 1.5 times the rate of white women (43.7% vs 34.6% lifetime), CDC NISVS
03
55% of female murder victims are killed by intimate partners, DOJ data
04
Pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide by partner than any other demographic group, CDC
05
1 in 3 Native American women experience sexual violence by intimate partner lifetime
06
LGBTQ individuals face 2.5 times higher rates of IPV than heterosexuals, CDC NISVS
07
61% of bisexual women and 37% of bisexual men report lifetime rape by intimate partner, CDC
08
Elderly women over 60 experience higher rates of psychological abuse (9.8%) than physical (1.2%), NISVS
09
49% of Hispanic women report IPV lifetime, compared to 41% non-Hispanic white
10
Women with disabilities are 40% more likely to experience DV
11
85% of DV victims are women, per National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
12
Female victims of IPV are 5 times more likely to need medical treatment, CDC
13
1 in 5 college women experience completed or attempted rape by intimate partner, CDC NISVS
14
Transgender victims report 31.1% lifetime physical violence by partner
15
Rural women face 1.5 times higher IPV rates due to isolation
16
70% of DV victims are mothers, complicating escape, NCADV
17
Women in poverty experience IPV at twice the rate of higher-income women, CDC
18
Asian/Pacific Islander women report 19% lifetime IPV rate, lower but underreported
19
40% of female IPV victims are between 18-34 years old, DOJ BJS
20
Separated/divorced women are 12.5 times more likely to be victimized than married
21
93% of female IPV victims report stalking behaviors
22
Male victims are more likely to be young (under 35) and never married, CDC NISVS
23
1 in 4 male victims seek no services post-IPV, higher than females
24
Immigrant women face language barriers increasing vulnerability, 2x risk
25
60% of victims experience first IPV before age 25, CDC
26
Alcohol use increases victim injury severity by 50%, per studies
27
75% of calls to DV hotlines are from women
28
Men comprise 10% of shelter residents despite higher needs
29
80% of female victims report emotional abuse alongside physical, CDC NISVS
30
Native Hawaiian women have 45.1% lifetime IPV rate, highest among groups
Interpretation
Victim Characteristics Interpretation
It is a grim and wide-spread irony that in a nation which prides itself on safety and equality, the most statistically dangerous place for a woman is often within the intimate trust of her own home, with her risk further stratified by age, race, sexuality, and the cruel arithmetic of poverty.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Domestic Violence In The Us Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-the-us-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Domestic Violence In The Us Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-the-us-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Domestic Violence In The Us Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-in-the-us-statistics.
Sources & references
6 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level