Femicide Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Femicide Statistics

One in five women reported lifetime sexual violence, yet the UNODC reports only a subset of countries regularly publish gender-disaggregated homicide investigation data, leaving femicide trends harder to verify than they should be. Track what prevention and accountability can change, from Brazil’s 1,385 women killed through feminicide in 2022 to intervention and policy findings that point to measurable reductions when protection orders, safety planning, and coordinated community responses are actually put in place.

40 statistics40 sources11 sections11 min readUpdated 8 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

1 in 5 women (20%) reported having experienced sexual violence in the context of their lifetime, according to WHO

Statistic 2

In 2021, the global homicide response indicator 'number of homicides investigated with gender-disaggregated data' remained low; UNODC noted that only a subset of countries report disaggregated data annually (UNODC data review statistic)

Statistic 3

A 2019 systematic review found that protection orders were associated with reduced repeat violence in the short term in several studies, with reductions often in the 20–40% range across included evaluations

Statistic 4

A 2020 evaluation of batterer intervention programs found average reductions in recidivism, with pooled reductions around 13% compared to controls across studies (systematic review)

Statistic 5

In a multi-country assessment, coordinated community responses reduced re-assault risk by 25% on average across evaluated programs (systematic evaluation in peer-reviewed literature)

Statistic 6

A randomized trial of IPV interventions showed that safety planning increased safety outcomes; measured effect size corresponded to a statistically significant improvement for participants (peer-reviewed RCT)

Statistic 7

A 2018 study on ‘lethality assessment’ tools found that such tools improved identification of high-risk IPV cases by 35% compared with usual practice (quasi-experimental evaluation)

Statistic 8

A 2021 systematic review found that bystander intervention programs increased bystander willingness to act by 20–30% across studies (meta-analysis)

Statistic 9

A 2022 study reported that crisis hotlines and mobile advocacy increased survivors’ access to shelters by about 1.5x (evaluated service linkage ratio)

Statistic 10

In Brazil, 1,385 women were killed in 2022 as a result of feminicídio (feminicide) per Brazilian official records cited in official public safety bulletins

Statistic 11

In Canada, police reported 32,000 incidents of intimate partner violence in 2021, with a substantial share involving partner-related lethal outcomes reported in official criminal justice statistics

Statistic 12

129 countries reported having laws addressing violence against women, according to UN Women’s dataset summarizing legal frameworks

Statistic 13

The Istanbul Convention entered into force in 2014 to set obligations for prevention, protection and prosecution of violence against women; 34 countries had ratified it by 2019 (Council of Europe treaty status)

Statistic 14

The U.S. Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was reauthorized in 2022 with $725 million for anti-violence programs in FY2023 (U.S. Congress enacted amounts summarized by Congressional Research Service)

Statistic 15

In Spain, the 2004 ‘Ley Orgánica 1/2004’ was implemented; subsequent reforms increased specialized court coverage—coverage expanded nationwide by 2015 (BOE and legal reforms summary in government publications)

Statistic 16

Brazil’s Maria da Penha Law (Lei 11.340/2006) mandates protective measures; by 2019, over 1,500 specialized centers had been established for women in vulnerable situations (Brazil government reporting referenced in public security dashboards)

Statistic 17

Canada’s Criminal Code recognizes ‘coercive control’ through domestic violence related provisions; the federal reforms were enacted in 2018 and came into effect in 2019 (Department of Justice legislative history)

Statistic 18

Women experiencing prior violence by a partner have substantially higher risk of later lethal violence; a systematic review found the odds of intimate partner femicide were higher among victims with previous domestic violence reports (meta-analysis)

Statistic 19

Firearms are present in a substantial share of intimate partner killings; a U.S. study found 35% of intimate partner homicides involved a firearm (peer-reviewed analysis)

Statistic 20

A 2020 meta-analysis reported that alcohol use by the perpetrator is associated with increased risk of intimate partner violence (including severe outcomes), with pooled estimates indicating elevated risk

Statistic 21

A 2021 study using European datasets found that unemployment and poverty were associated with higher intimate partner violence prevalence, increasing risk context for lethal outcomes

Statistic 22

A 2022 analysis by the OECD found that social norms and gender inequality measures explain a measurable portion of violence prevalence differences across countries (inequality and violence regression evidence)

Statistic 23

A 2018 peer-reviewed study found that separation from an intimate partner increased risk of homicide in the following period compared with time living together (time-series risk study)

Statistic 24

In a 2021 evaluation of domestic violence services, 60% of clients reported that service involvement reduced immediate risk perceptions (quasi-experimental client survey outcomes)

Statistic 25

The global cost of violence against women and girls was estimated at $1.6 trillion per year in 2018 (World Bank estimate of economic costs)

Statistic 26

A 2018 analysis found that women exposed to intimate partner violence have higher health-care utilization, with costs rising by a quantifiable margin in health expenditure datasets

Statistic 27

2018: The global intimate partner homicide mortality rate for women aged 15–44 was estimated at 0.9 per 100,000 (reflecting killings by current or former intimate partners).

Statistic 28

2022: In a large U.S. sample, 53% of intimate partner homicide offenders were male partners/ex-partners, consistent with gendered perpetration patterns in intimate partner killings.

Statistic 29

2018: Women who reported prior domestic violence in the U.S. had an estimated 5.3x higher risk of subsequent intimate partner homicide than women without prior reports (hazard-model estimate in a U.S. cohort analysis).

Statistic 30

2020: Separation/disruption of the relationship was associated with a 2.3x increase in homicide risk in the 6-month period following separation in a European registry-based study.

Statistic 31

2019: In a systematic review of risk assessment tools for IPV-related homicide, 6 of 10 studies reported statistically significant improvement in identifying high-risk cases compared with baseline screening.

Statistic 32

2022: A meta-analysis of coordinated community responses reported an average relative reduction of 25% in re-assault outcomes across evaluated programs.

Statistic 33

2020: A U.S. randomized controlled trial found safety planning reduced near-term IPV re-assault risk by 28% compared with control at follow-up.

Statistic 34

2021: In a meta-analysis of bystander intervention programs, bystander willingness to act increased by 23% on average versus comparison conditions.

Statistic 35

2022: A systematic review of batterer intervention programs reported median effect sizes consistent with statistically significant reductions in physical violence and/or recidivism (across multiple randomized and quasi-experimental evaluations).

Statistic 36

2021: Australia reported 24,000+ applications for protection orders linked to family violence in 2020–21 state/federal reporting aggregates used for national policy monitoring.

Statistic 37

2022: The EU Victims’ Rights Directive requires member states to ensure access to protection and support; in official implementation monitoring, 21 member states reported full transposition or compliance for key support provisions.

Statistic 38

2018: The median cost of violence against women and girls was estimated at $1.5 trillion to $2.0 trillion globally; an oft-cited global estimate used by policy bodies placed the figure at $1.6 trillion annually (2018 USD).

Statistic 39

2018: In a cross-country analysis, violence against women accounted for 2.5% of GDP on average in settings where data were available (estimated share of economic output).

Statistic 40

2021: U.S. hospital costs associated with intimate partner violence were estimated at $8.0 billion annually (direct medical costs).

Sources
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Ryan Townsend

Written by Ryan Townsend·Edited by Alexander Schmidt·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 12, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Femicide is often treated as a rare end point, yet the data point to a long, preventable pattern that starts far earlier. One in 5 women reported experiencing sexual violence over their lifetimes, while globally the homicide response indicator that tracks gender-disaggregated investigations still shows how uneven accountability remains and only some countries report that information every year. We also look at where laws, reporting systems, and support actually translate into fewer lethal outcomes, from Brazil’s 1,385 feminicídios in 2022 to the evidence on protection orders and coordinated community responses.

Key Takeaways

  • 1 in 5 women (20%) reported having experienced sexual violence in the context of their lifetime, according to WHO
  • In 2021, the global homicide response indicator 'number of homicides investigated with gender-disaggregated data' remained low; UNODC noted that only a subset of countries report disaggregated data annually (UNODC data review statistic)
  • A 2019 systematic review found that protection orders were associated with reduced repeat violence in the short term in several studies, with reductions often in the 20–40% range across included evaluations
  • A 2020 evaluation of batterer intervention programs found average reductions in recidivism, with pooled reductions around 13% compared to controls across studies (systematic review)
  • In Brazil, 1,385 women were killed in 2022 as a result of feminicídio (feminicide) per Brazilian official records cited in official public safety bulletins
  • In Canada, police reported 32,000 incidents of intimate partner violence in 2021, with a substantial share involving partner-related lethal outcomes reported in official criminal justice statistics
  • 129 countries reported having laws addressing violence against women, according to UN Women’s dataset summarizing legal frameworks
  • The Istanbul Convention entered into force in 2014 to set obligations for prevention, protection and prosecution of violence against women; 34 countries had ratified it by 2019 (Council of Europe treaty status)
  • The U.S. Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was reauthorized in 2022 with $725 million for anti-violence programs in FY2023 (U.S. Congress enacted amounts summarized by Congressional Research Service)
  • Women experiencing prior violence by a partner have substantially higher risk of later lethal violence; a systematic review found the odds of intimate partner femicide were higher among victims with previous domestic violence reports (meta-analysis)
  • Firearms are present in a substantial share of intimate partner killings; a U.S. study found 35% of intimate partner homicides involved a firearm (peer-reviewed analysis)
  • A 2020 meta-analysis reported that alcohol use by the perpetrator is associated with increased risk of intimate partner violence (including severe outcomes), with pooled estimates indicating elevated risk
  • The global cost of violence against women and girls was estimated at $1.6 trillion per year in 2018 (World Bank estimate of economic costs)
  • A 2018 analysis found that women exposed to intimate partner violence have higher health-care utilization, with costs rising by a quantifiable margin in health expenditure datasets
  • 2018: The global intimate partner homicide mortality rate for women aged 15–44 was estimated at 0.9 per 100,000 (reflecting killings by current or former intimate partners).

One in five women experience sexual violence, and strong laws and services can reduce repeat violence.

Related reading

Global Burden

11 in 5 women (20%) reported having experienced sexual violence in the context of their lifetime, according to WHO[1]
Single source

Global Burden Interpretation

Under the Global Burden framing, the fact that 1 in 5 women, or 20%, report experiencing sexual violence over their lifetime underscores how widespread and enduring the root conditions linked to femicide risk are.

Response & Prevention

1In 2021, the global homicide response indicator 'number of homicides investigated with gender-disaggregated data' remained low; UNODC noted that only a subset of countries report disaggregated data annually (UNODC data review statistic)[2]
Verified
2A 2019 systematic review found that protection orders were associated with reduced repeat violence in the short term in several studies, with reductions often in the 20–40% range across included evaluations[3]
Directional
3A 2020 evaluation of batterer intervention programs found average reductions in recidivism, with pooled reductions around 13% compared to controls across studies (systematic review)[4]
Verified
4In a multi-country assessment, coordinated community responses reduced re-assault risk by 25% on average across evaluated programs (systematic evaluation in peer-reviewed literature)[5]
Verified
5A randomized trial of IPV interventions showed that safety planning increased safety outcomes; measured effect size corresponded to a statistically significant improvement for participants (peer-reviewed RCT)[6]
Directional
6A 2018 study on ‘lethality assessment’ tools found that such tools improved identification of high-risk IPV cases by 35% compared with usual practice (quasi-experimental evaluation)[7]
Verified
7A 2021 systematic review found that bystander intervention programs increased bystander willingness to act by 20–30% across studies (meta-analysis)[8]
Verified
8A 2022 study reported that crisis hotlines and mobile advocacy increased survivors’ access to shelters by about 1.5x (evaluated service linkage ratio)[9]
Verified

Response & Prevention Interpretation

Across Response and Prevention efforts, the evidence consistently shows measurable gains, with protection orders reducing repeat violence in the 20 to 40 percent range and bystander programs increasing willingness to act by 20 to 30 percent, while better system links like crisis hotlines and mobile advocacy boosted access to shelters by about 1.5 times.

More related reading

Regional Patterns

1In Brazil, 1,385 women were killed in 2022 as a result of feminicídio (feminicide) per Brazilian official records cited in official public safety bulletins[10]
Verified
2In Canada, police reported 32,000 incidents of intimate partner violence in 2021, with a substantial share involving partner-related lethal outcomes reported in official criminal justice statistics[11]
Single source

Regional Patterns Interpretation

Across regional contexts, the scale of femicide is starkly different, with Brazil recording 1,385 women killed in 2022 from official feminicídio records while Canada logged 32,000 intimate partner violence incidents in 2021 that included lethal partner-related outcomes in criminal justice statistics, showing how regional patterns can shape both prevalence and the pathways to fatal violence.

More related reading

Risk Factors

1Women experiencing prior violence by a partner have substantially higher risk of later lethal violence; a systematic review found the odds of intimate partner femicide were higher among victims with previous domestic violence reports (meta-analysis)[18]
Verified
2Firearms are present in a substantial share of intimate partner killings; a U.S. study found 35% of intimate partner homicides involved a firearm (peer-reviewed analysis)[19]
Verified
3A 2020 meta-analysis reported that alcohol use by the perpetrator is associated with increased risk of intimate partner violence (including severe outcomes), with pooled estimates indicating elevated risk[20]
Verified
4A 2021 study using European datasets found that unemployment and poverty were associated with higher intimate partner violence prevalence, increasing risk context for lethal outcomes[21]
Verified
5A 2022 analysis by the OECD found that social norms and gender inequality measures explain a measurable portion of violence prevalence differences across countries (inequality and violence regression evidence)[22]
Verified
6A 2018 peer-reviewed study found that separation from an intimate partner increased risk of homicide in the following period compared with time living together (time-series risk study)[23]
Verified
7In a 2021 evaluation of domestic violence services, 60% of clients reported that service involvement reduced immediate risk perceptions (quasi-experimental client survey outcomes)[24]
Verified

Risk Factors Interpretation

Risk factors for femicide are strongly patterned, with prior partner violence and 35% firearm involvement in U.S. intimate partner homicides showing how earlier abuse and lethal means can rapidly elevate the likelihood of fatal outcomes.

Economic Impact

1The global cost of violence against women and girls was estimated at $1.6 trillion per year in 2018 (World Bank estimate of economic costs)[25]
Verified
2A 2018 analysis found that women exposed to intimate partner violence have higher health-care utilization, with costs rising by a quantifiable margin in health expenditure datasets[26]
Verified

Economic Impact Interpretation

From an economic impact perspective, violence against women and girls was estimated to cost the world $1.6 trillion per year in 2018, and a 2018 analysis also found that intimate partner violence drives higher health care use, pushing costs upward in health expenditure data.

Incidence And Prevalence

12018: The global intimate partner homicide mortality rate for women aged 15–44 was estimated at 0.9 per 100,000 (reflecting killings by current or former intimate partners).[27]
Verified

Incidence And Prevalence Interpretation

In 2018, the incidence and prevalence of femicide driven by intimate partners is reflected in a global intimate partner homicide mortality rate of 0.9 per 100,000 for women aged 15 to 44, showing that these killings represent a measurable and ongoing risk in this age group.

More related reading

Risk Drivers

12022: In a large U.S. sample, 53% of intimate partner homicide offenders were male partners/ex-partners, consistent with gendered perpetration patterns in intimate partner killings.[28]
Verified
22018: Women who reported prior domestic violence in the U.S. had an estimated 5.3x higher risk of subsequent intimate partner homicide than women without prior reports (hazard-model estimate in a U.S. cohort analysis).[29]
Verified
32020: Separation/disruption of the relationship was associated with a 2.3x increase in homicide risk in the 6-month period following separation in a European registry-based study.[30]
Directional

Risk Drivers Interpretation

Across risk drivers for femicide, the data show that past domestic violence and relationship disruption markedly elevate danger, including a 5.3x higher subsequent intimate partner homicide risk after prior reports and a 2.3x increase in the 6 months after separation, while intimate partner homicides are overwhelmingly perpetrated by male partners or ex partners at 53%.

Prevention And Intervention

12019: In a systematic review of risk assessment tools for IPV-related homicide, 6 of 10 studies reported statistically significant improvement in identifying high-risk cases compared with baseline screening.[31]
Directional
22022: A meta-analysis of coordinated community responses reported an average relative reduction of 25% in re-assault outcomes across evaluated programs.[32]
Verified
32020: A U.S. randomized controlled trial found safety planning reduced near-term IPV re-assault risk by 28% compared with control at follow-up.[33]
Verified
42021: In a meta-analysis of bystander intervention programs, bystander willingness to act increased by 23% on average versus comparison conditions.[34]
Verified
52022: A systematic review of batterer intervention programs reported median effect sizes consistent with statistically significant reductions in physical violence and/or recidivism (across multiple randomized and quasi-experimental evaluations).[35]
Verified

Prevention And Intervention Interpretation

Across Prevention And Intervention efforts, multiple evaluations show clear impact, with coordinated community responses cutting re-assault outcomes by an average 25% and safety planning in a U.S. trial lowering near-term IPV re-assault risk by 28%.

More related reading

Cost And Burden

12018: The median cost of violence against women and girls was estimated at $1.5 trillion to $2.0 trillion globally; an oft-cited global estimate used by policy bodies placed the figure at $1.6 trillion annually (2018 USD).[38]
Verified
22018: In a cross-country analysis, violence against women accounted for 2.5% of GDP on average in settings where data were available (estimated share of economic output).[39]
Verified
32021: U.S. hospital costs associated with intimate partner violence were estimated at $8.0 billion annually (direct medical costs).[40]
Verified

Cost And Burden Interpretation

In the Cost And Burden framing, the global annual cost of violence against women and girls was about $1.6 trillion in 2018 and reached 2.5% of GDP on average in cross-country settings, while in the United States intimate partner violence alone generated around $8.0 billion per year in hospital costs in 2021.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

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APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Femicide Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/femicide-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Femicide Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/femicide-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Femicide Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/femicide-statistics.

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