Intimate partners or family members commit 56 percent of female homicides worldwide. The same violence more than doubles the risk of chronic health conditions and raises the odds of PTSD by about two and a half times. Worldwide figures show 7.5 percent of women experience physical or sexual intimate partner violence.
Key Takeaways
- 7.5% of women worldwide report experiencing either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence
- In 2022, 56% of all female homicides worldwide were committed by an intimate partner or family member
- A 2017 meta-analysis found that IPV accounts for 13% of maternal deaths globally
- In the U.S. (2023), 1,001 women were killed by an intimate partner
- Women experiencing IPV are 2.2 times more likely to have a chronic health condition than women without IPV
- A 2013 systematic review found IPV is associated with a 1.4x increased risk of depression
- A 2019 meta-analysis reported IPV exposure increases odds of PTSD by approximately 2.5x
- A 2019 study in Social Forces found exposure to IPV is associated with increased welfare dependence among women
- In the U.S. (2022), 169,000 women were victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) (estimated)
- In 2021, the National Sexual Assault Hotline provided 140,000 calls (RAINN)
- Women exposed to intimate partner violence have a 2.2x higher risk of developing chronic conditions (meta-analytic estimate)
- A meta-analysis reported intimate partner violence exposure increases odds of PTSD by approximately 2.5x (reported pooled estimate)
- Women experiencing intimate partner violence are at increased risk of disability; a pooled estimate of 1.7x higher odds has been reported in a systematic review
- In France, there were 105,000 domestic violence reports in 2022 (Ministry of Interior statistics on domestic violence—main reporting category)
Intimate partner violence harms millions through deaths, chronic illness, depression, PTSD, and disability worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence1 stats
01
7.5% of women worldwide report experiencing either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
For the prevalence of domestic violence, 7.5% of women worldwide report experiencing physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, showing how widespread it is across populations.
02 · Category
Mortality7 stats
01
In 2022, 56% of all female homicides worldwide were committed by an intimate partner or family member
02
A 2017 meta-analysis found that IPV accounts for 13% of maternal deaths globally
03
In the U.S. (2023), 1,001 women were killed by an intimate partner
04
The WHO estimates that 38% of female murder victims are killed by an intimate partner or family member
05
In Australia (2022), 51 women were killed by a current or former partner
06
In Canada (2021), 41% of homicides of women were committed by a current or former intimate partner
07
IPV is associated with increased risk of premature death; a 2020 meta-analysis estimated elevated mortality risk among IPV-exposed women
Interpretation
Mortality Interpretation
For the Mortality angle, intimate partners and family members are responsible for a large share of violence-related deaths, with WHO estimating 38% of murdered women killed by an intimate partner or family member and 2023 U.S. data showing 1,001 women killed by an intimate partner.
03 · Category
Health Impacts9 stats
01
Women experiencing IPV are 2.2 times more likely to have a chronic health condition than women without IPV
02
A 2013 systematic review found IPV is associated with a 1.4x increased risk of depression
03
A 2019 meta-analysis reported IPV exposure increases odds of PTSD by approximately 2.5x
04
IPV is associated with a 2x higher risk of suicide attempts among women (meta-analytic estimate)
05
A study in the journal PLoS ONE (2016) found women with IPV had 1.7x higher odds of disability
06
A 2018 cohort study reported higher prevalence of adverse reproductive outcomes among IPV-exposed women, including miscarriages
07
A 2019 review estimated IPV contributes to 3.5 million years of healthy life lost (disability-adjusted life years) globally
08
Women experiencing IPV have 2–3x higher risk of sexually transmitted infections than those not experiencing IPV (systematic review range)
09
In a 2015 meta-analysis, IPV was associated with increased risk of low birth weight, with an estimated OR around 1.4
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
For the health impacts of domestic violence, women experiencing IPV are significantly more likely to suffer chronic illness and mental and reproductive harm, with the risk of PTSD reported at about 2.5 times higher and depression at 1.4 times higher, contributing to roughly 3.5 million years of healthy life lost globally.
More related reading
05 · Category
Reporting & Services2 stats
01
In the U.S. (2022), 169,000 women were victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) (estimated)
02
In 2021, the National Sexual Assault Hotline provided 140,000 calls (RAINN)
Interpretation
Reporting & Services Interpretation
In the Reporting and Services category, the scale of need is clear as 169,000 women in the US were estimated IPV victims in 2022 and the National Sexual Assault Hotline handled 140,000 calls in 2021, showing that reporting and support systems are being heavily utilized.
06 · Category
Health Impact6 stats
01
Women exposed to intimate partner violence have a 2.2x higher risk of developing chronic conditions (meta-analytic estimate)
02
A meta-analysis reported intimate partner violence exposure increases odds of PTSD by approximately 2.5x (reported pooled estimate)
03
Women experiencing intimate partner violence are at increased risk of disability; a pooled estimate of 1.7x higher odds has been reported in a systematic review
04
Intimate partner violence is associated with increased odds of sexually transmitted infections among women; pooled estimates reported in a systematic review
05
Intimate partner violence is associated with adverse reproductive outcomes; systematic reviews report increased odds of miscarriage among women exposed to IPV
06
Intimate partner violence contributes to burden of disease; WHO-led global burden work estimates millions of disability-adjusted life years attributable to IPV (recent synthesis)
Interpretation
Health Impact Interpretation
From a health impact perspective, exposure to intimate partner violence is consistently linked to major long-term harms, including a 2.2 times higher risk of chronic conditions and about 2.5 times higher odds of PTSD, underscoring how IPV translates into measurable disease burden.
07 · Category
System Response1 stats
01
In France, there were 105,000 domestic violence reports in 2022 (Ministry of Interior statistics on domestic violence—main reporting category)
Interpretation
System Response Interpretation
In France, 105,000 domestic violence reports in 2022 show that the system response is being triggered at a very high level, with reporting volume indicating sustained pressure on domestic violence response mechanisms.
report visual · Comparison
How often intimate partners or family members are involved in harm against women
Selected global and country estimates show that intimate partners or family members account for a large share of female homicide victims.
U.S. (2023): women killed by an intimate partner1,001
2022: share of female homicides by intimate partner/family member56%
Canada (2021): % of homicides of women by current/former intimate partner41%
WHO: share of female murder victims killed by intimate partner/family member38%
Women worldwide reporting physical/sexual IPV7.5%
source-verifiedwho.int · unodc.org · fbi.gov · www150.statcan.gc.ca2023
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
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Domestic Violence Women Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-women-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Domestic Violence Women Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-women-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Domestic Violence Women Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-violence-women-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)