Intimate partner violence affects women across the United States, shaping outcomes in homes, hospitals, and workplaces. This page reviews the scale of victimization and what it can cost, from damaged housing and missed paid workdays to higher healthcare expenses. You’ll also see how mental health conditions and long-term risks commonly follow, alongside system barriers such as underreporting, weak prosecution, and restraining order violations.
Key Takeaways
- Annual cost of IPV to US healthcare system is $5.8 billion for women victims
- IPV causes women to lose 8 million paid workdays annually in the US
- 89% of victims' homes have been damaged by abuser
- Only 34% of IPV incidents against women are reported to police
- 75% of domestic violence cases are not prosecuted due to victim recantation
- Restraining orders are violated in 69% of cases protecting women
- PTSD symptoms present in 45-95% of IPV female victims
- 52% of battered women suffer major depressive disorder
- Anxiety disorders affect 48% of women experiencing IPV
- 91% of female victims of IPV were assaulted by a current or former partner
- Women who experience IPV are 1.5 times more likely to suffer a stroke
- IPV victims are 2.3 times more likely to have chronic health problems like heart disease
- In the United States, approximately 1 in 4 women (24.3%) experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime
- Globally, 30% of women aged 15 and older have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime
- In the US, 47.3% of women have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime
Intimate partner violence devastates women’s health and costs billions, yet most incidents go unreported.
Related reading
02 · Category
Legal And Policy Responses20 stats
01
Only 34% of IPV incidents against women are reported to police
02
75% of domestic violence cases are not prosecuted due to victim recantation
03
Restraining orders are violated in 69% of cases protecting women
04
Only 23 states have mandatory arrest policies for domestic violence misdemeanors
05
Women obtain 85% of protective orders, but enforcement varies by 50%
06
Conviction rates for IPV against women are 56% lower than other assaults
07
50 states have some form of domestic violence shelter funding, but only 20% adequate
08
VAWA has funded over 18,000 local programs since 1994 for female victims
09
Only 17% of shelters turn away women due to capacity, but waitlists average 3 months
10
Police response time to DV calls involving women averages 11 minutes slower at night
11
80% of DV homicides had prior police contact, yet preventive action in 40%
12
Batterer intervention programs reduce recidivism by only 33% for female victims' safety
13
42 states allow evidence of IPV in custody decisions favoring women
14
Federal funding for DV services increased 20% in 2022, serving 1.2 million women
15
Only 10% of IPV cases result in jail time for perpetrators against women
16
Hotline calls increased 30% post-COVID, overwhelming 1,500 shelters for women
17
27 states mandate DV training for judges in family courts protecting women
18
Prosecution rates for strangulation in DV rose 25% with specific laws
19
Immigrant women face deportation fears, reporting DV 50% less
20
Elder abuse in DV affects 10% of women over 60, with weak policy response
Interpretation
Legal And Policy Responses Interpretation
Despite formal legal and policy tools, only 34% of IPV incidents are reported and 75% of domestic violence cases are dropped after victim recantation, showing that implementation and enforcement largely undercut the system’s stated protections for women.
03 · Category
Mental Health Impacts24 stats
01
PTSD symptoms present in 45-95% of IPV female victims
02
52% of battered women suffer major depressive disorder
03
Anxiety disorders affect 48% of women experiencing IPV
04
80% of IPV survivors develop substance abuse issues
05
Suicide attempts are 4 times higher among IPV victims
06
Dissociative disorders in 31% of female domestic abuse survivors
07
Borderline personality disorder diagnosed in 40% of battered women
08
Panic disorder rates double to 20% in IPV women
09
Somatization disorder in 50% of long-term IPV victims
10
Eating disorders increase by 3-fold in abused women
11
67% of IPV women report sleep disturbances and insomnia
12
Phobias develop in 25% of domestic violence survivors
13
Self-harm behaviors in 35% of female IPV victims
14
Social phobia affects 28% of battered women seeking therapy
15
55% of IPV survivors experience hypervigilance and chronic fear
16
Alcohol dependence in 45% of women with severe IPV history
17
Drug abuse rates 2.5 times higher in IPV victims
18
60% report feelings of worthlessness and shame post-abuse
19
Agoraphobia in 22% of long-term domestic abuse survivors
20
OCD symptoms emerge in 18% of IPV-affected women
21
Bipolar disorder exacerbation in 30% of abused women
22
75% experience emotional numbing and detachment
23
Schizophrenia risk increases 2-fold with childhood IPV exposure into adulthood
24
40% of survivors have trust issues leading to isolation
Interpretation
Mental Health Impacts Interpretation
Mental health impacts from intimate partner violence are profound, with high rates such as anxiety disorders in 48% of women and PTSD symptoms in up to 95%, alongside major depression affecting 52% and suicide attempts occurring four times as often.
More related reading
04 · Category
Physical Health Impacts28 stats
01
91% of female victims of IPV were assaulted by a current or former partner
02
Women who experience IPV are 1.5 times more likely to suffer a stroke
03
IPV victims are 2.3 times more likely to have chronic health problems like heart disease
04
40-45% of women who experience IPV attempt suicide
05
Pregnant women experiencing IPV are 4 times more likely to have low birth weight babies
06
IPV increases risk of HIV infection by 1.5 times among women
07
37% of obstetric complications are linked to IPV in women
08
Women experiencing IPV miss 8 more days of work per year due to injuries
09
Strangulation in IPV incidents leads to 10% fatality rate within 9 seconds of unconsciousness
10
85% of domestic violence victims suffer head, neck, or face injuries
11
IPV accounts for 21% of hospital visits by women aged 18-44 for violence-related injuries
12
Female IPV victims are 16% more likely to develop arthritis
13
50-60% of battered women report injuries requiring medical attention
14
IPV during pregnancy increases miscarriage risk by 40%
15
Women with IPV history have 28% higher risk of asthma
16
70% of female homicide victims were killed by intimate partners, often with prior physical abuse
17
IPV survivors have 2 times higher rate of irritable bowel syndrome
18
Broken bones occur in 27% of severe IPV cases against women
19
Concussions from IPV affect 30% of victims seeking emergency care
20
IPV increases pelvic inflammatory disease risk by 45%
21
15% of IPV victims suffer vision loss from assaults
22
Hearing loss reported in 12% of battered women due to head trauma
23
Chronic pain syndromes affect 55% of IPV survivors long-term
24
IPV linked to 25% higher hypertension rates in women
25
33% of women with IPV history develop fibromyalgia
26
IPV victims 3 times more likely to experience sexual dysfunction
27
Traumatic brain injury from IPV in 30% of emergency shelter women
28
20% of IPV homicides involve firearms used by intimate partners against women
Interpretation
Physical Health Impacts Interpretation
Under the Physical Health Impacts category, intimate partner violence leaves women with serious medical consequences, including a 1.5 times higher risk of stroke and chronic heart problems and a much higher chance of severe outcomes like 40 to 45% attempting suicide and 4 times higher rates of low birth weight during pregnancy.
05 · Category
Prevalence And Incidence30 stats
01
In the United States, approximately 1 in 4 women (24.3%) experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime
02
Globally, 30% of women aged 15 and older have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime
03
In the US, 47.3% of women have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime
04
About 10 million people in the US are victims of domestic violence each year, with women comprising 85% of victims
05
In England and Wales, 1 in 5 women (20%) have experienced domestic abuse since age 16
06
41% of women worldwide report experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime according to a multi-country study
07
In the EU, 22% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a partner since age 15
08
US women are 5 times more likely than men to be hospitalized due to domestic violence assaults
09
In India, 37.4% of ever-married women aged 15-49 have experienced spousal violence
10
In Australia, 1 in 6 women have experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner
11
48.4% of women in the US have experienced psychological aggression and stalking by an intimate partner
12
In Canada, 44% of women have experienced at least one form of IPV
13
In South Africa, 28% of women report lifetime physical or sexual violence by a partner
14
In the US, Black women experience IPV at a rate 35% higher than the national average
15
1 in 7 women in the US aged 18-24 experience stalking by an intimate partner
16
In Mexico, 43.9% of women have suffered violence from their partner
17
In Brazil, 10% of women report being victims of physical aggression by partners annually
18
In the UK, 757,000 women experience domestic abuse annually
19
In rural US areas, women face 1.5 times higher risk of IPV homicide
20
Globally, 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners
21
In the US, 1 in 10 women experience rape by an intimate partner
22
In Japan, 17.6% of women have experienced partner violence
23
In New Zealand, 33% of women report lifetime IPV
24
In Sweden, 29% of women have been exposed to violence by a partner
25
In the Philippines, 23.1% of women aged 15-49 experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence from husbands
26
In Turkey, 38% of women have faced partner violence
27
In Egypt, 31.9% of ever-married women have experienced spousal physical violence
28
In Nigeria, 30% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence since age 15
29
In Bangladesh, 52.3% of women report lifetime physical or sexual violence by husbands
30
In the US, lesbian women experience IPV at rates similar to heterosexual women, around 44%
Interpretation
Prevalence And Incidence Interpretation
Across countries, the prevalence of domestic abuse is alarmingly high, with lifetime experience ranging from 20% in England and Wales to 41% worldwide and as much as 24.3% of US women reporting severe physical violence by an intimate partner, underscoring that this harm is widespread rather than rare.
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
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Female Domestic Abuse Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/female-domestic-abuse-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Female Domestic Abuse Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/female-domestic-abuse-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Female Domestic Abuse Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/female-domestic-abuse-statistics.
Sources & references
69 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level