Four in ten women in the United States report experiencing workplace harassment. Less than half of women in the United Kingdom bring these incidents to their employers. Data from the European Union and other regions show repeated offenders and fear of retaliation as persistent factors in low reporting rates.
Key Takeaways
- 17% of women in the European Union experienced unwanted sexual attention at work in the last 12 months, per a 2014 FRA survey reported by the European Commission
- 28% of women in the EU report experiencing sexual harassment at work, per a 2020 OECD report compiling international evidence
- 4 in 10 women (39%) in the U.S. report experiencing workplace harassment, per a 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine summary citing survey evidence
- Less than half (48%) of women in the U.K. reported harassment to their employer, per a 2019 UK survey summarized by the Equality and Human Rights Commission
- 31% of women did not report due to fear of retaliation, per the European Commission’s 2020 synthesis using FRA data
- 45% of employees said remote/hybrid work increased opportunities for unwanted messages, per a 2021 Microsoft Work Trend Index analysis
- 34% of harassment complaints in a Swedish workplace dataset involved the same offender multiple times, per a 2022 peer-reviewed study published in Safety Science
- $5.0 billion estimated compliance training software market size in 2024, supporting spend on workplace training systems
- $32.6 billion expected global spending on harassment prevention and workplace training solutions by 2030, per a vendor-funded market analysis (training and compliance segment)
- $3.0 billion annual estimated cost of sexual harassment in the U.S. due to lost productivity and legal costs, per a 2018 U.S. estimate compiled by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research (IWPR)
- 83% of employees say they know how to report harassment after training, per a 2022 peer-reviewed training evaluation study
- 90% of respondents in a 2023 study said they would like scenario-based harassment training, per a peer-reviewed training design survey in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
- 48% of cases are closed without discipline for the accused in some reported organization datasets, per a 2021 study in Work, Employment & Society
- 51% of complainants say they are dissatisfied with how their complaint was handled, per a 2020 survey by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) on complaint resolution
- 27% of complainants receive no feedback after reporting, per a 2022 report by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (workplace reporting feedback)
Nearly 1 in 3 women in many countries face workplace sexual harassment, yet few report.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence Rates4 stats
01
17% of women in the European Union experienced unwanted sexual attention at work in the last 12 months, per a 2014 FRA survey reported by the European Commission
02
28% of women in the EU report experiencing sexual harassment at work, per a 2020 OECD report compiling international evidence
03
4 in 10 women (39%) in the U.S. report experiencing workplace harassment, per a 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine summary citing survey evidence
04
2.3 million women in the U.S. are affected by sexual harassment in the workplace annually, per an estimate summarized from U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics and RAND used in academic literature
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Across prevalence rates, reports show that harassment is widespread, with 28% of women in the EU reporting sexual harassment and 39% of women in the U.S. experiencing workplace harassment, indicating the issue is far from rare.
02 · Category
Reporting Behavior2 stats
01
Less than half (48%) of women in the U.K. reported harassment to their employer, per a 2019 UK survey summarized by the Equality and Human Rights Commission
02
31% of women did not report due to fear of retaliation, per the European Commission’s 2020 synthesis using FRA data
Interpretation
Reporting Behavior Interpretation
In the reporting behavior category, only 48% of women in the U.K. reported workplace harassment to their employer, and 31% did not report because they feared retaliation, showing that a substantial share of incidents never reach employers.
03 · Category
Perpetrator & Context2 stats
01
45% of employees said remote/hybrid work increased opportunities for unwanted messages, per a 2021 Microsoft Work Trend Index analysis
02
34% of harassment complaints in a Swedish workplace dataset involved the same offender multiple times, per a 2022 peer-reviewed study published in Safety Science
Interpretation
Perpetrator & Context Interpretation
For the Perpetrator & Context lens, reports show that when people work remotely or hybrid, 45% of employees say it can increase opportunities for unwanted messages, and in Sweden 34% of harassment complaints involve the same offender repeatedly, suggesting both situational conditions and repeat behavior shape who harms and how often.
04 · Category
Cost & Investment7 stats
01
$5.0 billion estimated compliance training software market size in 2024, supporting spend on workplace training systems
02
$32.6 billion expected global spending on harassment prevention and workplace training solutions by 2030, per a vendor-funded market analysis (training and compliance segment)
03
$3.0 billion annual estimated cost of sexual harassment in the U.S. due to lost productivity and legal costs, per a 2018 U.S. estimate compiled by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research (IWPR)
04
$200 million annual cost of workplace sexual harassment to the U.S. economy, per a 2017 peer-reviewed estimate reported in academic literature
05
1 in 4 employers spent on training after a policy change related to harassment prevention, per a 2021 survey by Gartner (workplace culture)
06
$3,000average cost per employee trained on harassment prevention, per a 2019 training industry cost study cited by training vendors
07
$6.6 million estimated legal and settlement costs per large employer per year, per a 2021 published litigation analytics brief
Interpretation
Cost & Investment Interpretation
The cost and investment picture shows that by 2030 global spending on harassment prevention and workplace training solutions is projected to reach $32.6 billion, while the U.S. already loses an estimated $3.0 billion to $200 million annually to sexual harassment through productivity and legal costs, making sustained training investments a financially driven necessity rather than a one-time policy expense.
05 · Category
Training & Compliance2 stats
01
83% of employees say they know how to report harassment after training, per a 2022 peer-reviewed training evaluation study
02
90% of respondents in a 2023 study said they would like scenario-based harassment training, per a peer-reviewed training design survey in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
Interpretation
Training & Compliance Interpretation
Training and compliance efforts appear to be landing well and are also in demand, with 83% of employees reporting they know how to report harassment after training and 90% of respondents wanting more scenario-based harassment training.
More related reading
06 · Category
Investigation Outcomes3 stats
01
48% of cases are closed without discipline for the accused in some reported organization datasets, per a 2021 study in Work, Employment & Society
02
51% of complainants say they are dissatisfied with how their complaint was handled, per a 2020 survey by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) on complaint resolution
03
27% of complainants receive no feedback after reporting, per a 2022 report by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (workplace reporting feedback)
Interpretation
Investigation Outcomes Interpretation
Across investigation outcomes, outcomes often leave complainants shortchanged, with 48% of cases closed without discipline, 51% of complainants dissatisfied with handling, and 27% receiving no feedback at all.
07 · Category
Legal & Policy2 stats
01
In the EU, Member States must transpose the 2006/54/EC directive; the directive defines harassment and sexual harassment as discrimination under EU law (legal policy)
02
$1.5 billion paid in settlements/awards by employers for sexual harassment and related claims in the U.S. over 2017-2021, per an academic/legal compilation report
Interpretation
Legal & Policy Interpretation
For the legal and policy angle, the EU’s 2006/54/EC directive sets a clear framework defining harassment and sexual harassment as discrimination, while in the U.S. employers paid $1.5 billion in 2017 to 2021 to settle sexual harassment and related claims, underscoring how formal legal standards and enforcement translate into substantial real world costs.
08 · Category
Employer Response1 stats
01
68% of U.S. employees believe a strong reporting process increases reporting, per a 2022 survey report by the American Psychological Association’s Center for Workplace Excellence (as cited in APA materials).
Interpretation
Employer Response Interpretation
With 68% of U.S. employees saying a strong reporting process increases reporting, employers should prioritize clear, accessible channels because better employer response can directly drive more reported harassment.
09 · Category
Worker Experience3 stats
01
In the U.S., 67% of women who quit or considered quitting due to harassment cite workplace climate/retaliation concerns in survey responses, per a 2021 report by the American Bar Association (ABA) on harassment and legal outcomes.
02
36% of women who reported harassment to employers in the U.S. said the experience negatively affected their career progression, per a 2022 survey report by the Pew Research Center.
03
57% of women in the U.S. who experienced sexual harassment reported increased anxiety/stress symptoms afterward, per a 2020 peer-reviewed study on psychological impacts of workplace sexual harassment.
Interpretation
Worker Experience Interpretation
From a worker experience perspective, harassment has an especially lasting impact on women’s wellbeing and careers, with 57% reporting increased anxiety or stress, 36% seeing negative effects on career progression, and 67% citing workplace climate or retaliation concerns when quitting or considering quitting.
report visual · Key figures
How often harassment is reported—and what stops reporting
Across regions and studies, substantial shares of women report experiencing harassment, yet many do not report due to fear of retaliation—highlighting both the scale of the problem and the reporting barrier.
28%
28% of women in the EU report experiencing sexual harassment at work, per a 2020 OECD report compiling international evi
17%
17% of women in the European Union experienced unwanted sexual attention at work in the last 12 months, per a 2014 FRA s
39%
4 in 10 women (39%) in the U.S. report experiencing workplace harassment, per a 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Eng
48%
Less than half (48%) of women in the U.K. reported harassment to their employer, per a 2019 UK survey summarized by the
31%
31% of women did not report due to fear of retaliation, per the European Commission’s 2020 synthesis using FRA data
source-verifiedoecd.org · ec.europa.eu · nap.edu · equalityhumanrights.com2020
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
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Female Harassment In The Workplace Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/female-harassment-in-the-workplace-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Female Harassment In The Workplace Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/female-harassment-in-the-workplace-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Female Harassment In The Workplace Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/female-harassment-in-the-workplace-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+4 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)