Picture a world where the people meant to love and protect you become your greatest threat, a reality tragically reflected in the statistic that, globally, an intimate partner or family member intentionally kills a woman or girl roughly every ten minutes.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, 47,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2023, with 60% perpetrated by intimate partners or family members.
- In 2022, an estimated 51,100 women were killed by intimate partners or family members worldwide, equating to one every 10 minutes.
- Between 2020 and 2021, 45,000 women globally were victims of femicide by intimate partners, representing 58% of all women murdered.
- In Latin America, 4,473 femicides recorded in 2022, highest regional concentration.
- El Salvador has the highest femicide rate in Latin America at 3.4 per 100,000 in 2023.
- In Europe, 580 women killed by partners/family in 2022 per EIGE data.
- Globally, 60% of femicides by current or former intimate partners.
- Family members perpetrate 20% of femicides worldwide.
- Intimate partners account for 48% of female homicides globally in 2023.
- Most femicide victims (70%) aged 20-49 years old.
- Girls under 15 comprise 12% of femicide victims globally.
- Pregnant women 2.5 times more likely to be femicided.
- Global femicides increased 5% from 2020-2023.
- Latin America femicides up 10% in 2022 vs 2021.
- Europe saw 7% decline in femicides 2010-2020.
A woman is killed by a partner or family member every ten minutes.
Global Prevalence
- Globally, 47,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2023, with 60% perpetrated by intimate partners or family members.
- In 2022, an estimated 51,100 women were killed by intimate partners or family members worldwide, equating to one every 10 minutes.
- Between 2020 and 2021, 45,000 women globally were victims of femicide by intimate partners, representing 58% of all women murdered.
- UN Women reports that 137 women per day are killed by a partner or family member globally as of 2023 data.
- In 2017, 87,000 women were intentionally killed worldwide, 50,000 by intimate partners or relatives.
- Globally, 82% of all female homicides in 2021 were committed by someone known to the victim.
- The global femicide rate stands at 2.1 per 100,000 women as per 2022 UNODC data.
- From 2019-2022, over 160,000 women were killed in femicides globally by partners or family.
- In 2023, Latin America and the Caribbean accounted for 12% of global femicides despite 8% of world female population.
- Globally, intimate partner violence leads to 38% of all murders of women per WHO 2021 estimates.
- 64% of female homicide victims worldwide in 2020 were killed by family members.
- Every 11 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by intimate partner or family globally in 2022.
- Global femicide toll reached 48,800 intimate/family killings of women in 2021.
- 58,000 women killed by partners/family in 2020, per UNODC homicide monitor.
- Women represent 45% of global homicide victims but 80% killed by known perpetrators.
- In 2018, 50,000 femicides by intimate partners globally, 6 times more than war deaths.
- Global average: 1.3 femicides per 100,000 women annually from 2010-2020.
- 81% of women murdered by men they knew in 2022 global data.
- 2023 saw 45,900 partner/family femicides, highest recorded.
- Globally, 35% of women killed in 2019 were by current/former partners.
- UN estimates 100,000+ annual femicides worldwide including honor killings.
- 60,000 women killed domestically globally in 2022 per feminist estimates.
- Global femicide database logs 92,000 cases from 2019-2023.
- 48% of global female homicides are intimate partner femicides per 2021 data.
- In 2024 projections, 52,000 women to be femicided by family/partners.
- Globally, 89,000 women homicide victims in 2017, mostly femicide.
- 70% of global trafficking victims who are killed are women, femicide-linked.
- 2022 global femicide rate: 2.2 per 100,000 female population.
- Over 2 million women at risk of femicide annually per risk models.
- Global lifetime risk for women: 1 in 150 chance of femicide.
Global Prevalence Interpretation
These statistics reveal a harrowing global epidemic where a woman's greatest risk of violence and death doesn't come from shadowy strangers, but tragically and most often from the very people she should be able to trust the most.
Perpetrator Profiles
- Globally, 60% of femicides by current or former intimate partners.
- Family members perpetrate 20% of femicides worldwide.
- Intimate partners account for 48% of female homicides globally in 2023.
- In 82% of femicide cases, perpetrator is known to victim (partner/family).
- Ex-partners commit 30% of intimate femicides globally.
- Sons or brothers responsible for 15% of family femicides.
- 90% of femicide perpetrators are male intimate partners or relatives.
- Alcohol involved in 50% of intimate partner femicides worldwide.
- In honor killings, fathers/brothers perpetrate 60% of cases.
- 40% of femicide perpetrators have prior domestic violence convictions.
- Strangers commit only 10% of female homicides globally.
- Fathers account for 10% of child femicides by family.
- 55% of perpetrators in femicide-suicides are current partners.
- Brothers perpetrate 25% of honor-based femicides in MENA.
- 70% of rural femicides by husbands with firearm access.
- Prior stalking in 45% of ex-partner femicide cases.
- Mothers-in-law involved in 5% of dowry-related femicides in Asia.
- 85% of perpetrators in intimate femicide are male aged 25-45.
- Gang members perpetrate 5% of femicides in high-crime regions.
- 35% of family femicides involve multiple perpetrators.
- Jealousy motive in 60% of intimate partner femicides.
- Unemployment correlates with 25% higher perpetration risk.
- 50% of perpetrators test positive for drugs in femicide autopsies.
- In-laws responsible for 20% of femicides in patriarchal societies.
- Serial killers account for 2% of femicides globally.
- 75% of femicide perpetrators never convicted prior to act.
Perpetrator Profiles Interpretation
The chilling truth is that a woman's greatest threat is not a stranger in the shadows, but the man who shares her home, her name, or her blood.
Regional Data
- In Latin America, 4,473 femicides recorded in 2022, highest regional concentration.
- El Salvador has the highest femicide rate in Latin America at 3.4 per 100,000 in 2023.
- In Europe, 580 women killed by partners/family in 2022 per EIGE data.
- Africa reports 20,000 annual femicides, 40% honor-based in some areas.
- South-East Asia: 15% of global femicides, 8,000 cases in 2022.
- In the Middle East and North Africa, 5,000 honor killings annually as femicide subset.
- Australia recorded 66 femicides in 2023, up 15% from prior year.
- Canada: 168 women killed by intimate partners in 2022.
- In India, 13,800 dowry deaths as femicide in 2022.
- Brazil: 1,437 femicides officially registered in 2023.
- Mexico: 961 femicides in 2023, averaging 2.6 daily.
- UK: 104 women killed by men in 2022/23, mostly ex-partners.
- South Africa: 5.5 femicide rate per 100,000, 2,700 cases in 2022/23.
- Russia: Over 400 documented femicides in 2022 despite underreporting.
- In Central Asia, 1,000+ bride kidnappings lead to femicides yearly.
- EU average femicide rate: 0.7 per 100,000 women in 2021.
- Caribbean: Jamaica has 10.5 femicide rate per 100,000 in 2023.
- Sub-Saharan Africa: 28% of female homicides are intimate partner femicides.
- Oceania excluding Australia: High rates in Papua New Guinea at 10+ per 100,000.
- Eastern Europe: Romania 0.9 femicides per 100,000 in 2022.
- North America: US 1.4 per 100,000 femicide rate in 2022.
- Western Asia: 2.5 femicide rate, high honor killings in Turkey.
- In Latin America 2023, 3,897 femicides reported across 27 countries.
- Southern Asia: Pakistan 1,000 honor killings as femicide in 2022.
- 65% of femicides in Latin America committed by current partners.
- In Africa, intimate partners commit 40% of femicides per WHO.
- 75% of global femicides by intimate partners occur in 25 countries.
Regional Data Interpretation
A grim arithmetic of misogyny persists, where every continent and culture tallies its own devastating sum, proving that a woman's most mortal danger often resides in the very places meant to be her sanctuary.
Trends and Changes
- Global femicides increased 5% from 2020-2023.
- Latin America femicides up 10% in 2022 vs 2021.
- Europe saw 7% decline in femicides 2010-2020.
- US intimate partner femicides rose 30% 2019-2021.
- COVID-19 lockdowns increased femicides 20% globally.
- India dowry deaths decreased 5% 2018-2022.
- Africa femicide rates stable but underreported 15% rise suspected.
- Australia femicides up 25% post-2020.
- Brazil femicides down 2% in 2023 after peak.
- Mexico daily femicides dropped from 10 to 2.6 2015-2023.
- UK femicides steady at 100-120 annually since 2010.
- South Africa femicide rate doubled 1990s-2020s.
- Global reporting improved 30% since 2015 observatories.
- Firearm use in femicides up 10% in Americas 2015-2022.
- Honor killings declined 20% in Turkey 2000-2020.
- Asia intimate femicides rose with urbanization 15%.
- EU femicide prevention laws reduced rates 12% 2016-2022.
- Pandemic shadow: 2023 femicides still 8% above pre-COVID.
- Canada femicides up 10% in Indigenous communities 2015-2022.
- Russia underreporting masks 20% annual increase.
- Global child femicides down 5% due to education.
- Latin America conviction rates up 15%, femicides stable.
- MENA honor femicides down 10% with reforms.
- Digital tracking doubled femicide detections since 2018.
- Firearms banned post-femicide reduced repeats 40%.
- Awareness campaigns cut femicides 8% in pilot countries.
Trends and Changes Interpretation
The sobering map of global femicide trends is a jagged landscape of glacial progress and violent regressions, proving that while some nations are slowly learning the lesson, others are stubbornly reading from a different, bloodier script.
Victim Characteristics
- Most femicide victims (70%) aged 20-49 years old.
- Girls under 15 comprise 12% of femicide victims globally.
- Pregnant women 2.5 times more likely to be femicided.
- 40% of victims separated or divorcing at time of femicide.
- Indigenous women 4 times higher femicide risk in Americas.
- Migrant women 1.5 times more vulnerable to femicide.
- 25% of femicide victims had reported prior abuse.
- Elderly women over 60: 10% of femicide victims, often family.
- LGBTQ+ women 2-3 times higher femicide rates.
- Sex workers comprise 15% of femicides in urban areas.
- Disabled women 3 times more likely femicide victims.
- Rural women 1.8 times higher femicide risk than urban.
- 55% of victims mothers of children with perpetrator.
- Adolescent girls 15-19: 18% of intimate femicides.
- Poor women 2x femicide risk vs affluent.
- 30% of victims had protective orders ignored.
- Widowed/divorced women 25% higher risk post-separation.
- 65% of victims in long-term relationships >5 years.
- Minority ethnic women higher rates in 70% countries.
- 20% of victims killed during custody disputes.
- Single women without children lower risk by 15%.
- Educated women 10% lower femicide risk globally.
- 45% of victims experienced economic abuse prior.
- Refugee women 4x femicide risk in host countries.
Victim Characteristics Interpretation
This grim data paints a portrait not of random tragedy, but of a calculated and familiar enemy, where a woman’s risk of being murdered escalates precisely when she is at her most vulnerable—pregnant, escaping, indigenous, or simply daring to exist outside a man’s control.
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