Global Domestic Violence Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Global Domestic Violence Statistics

One in 3 women worldwide will experience physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in her lifetime, and the annual toll is about 133 million women. Global Domestic Violence pulls together WHO backed estimates to show how violence can look different by age and type, from physical and sexual harm to threats, controlling behaviors, and injuries.

59 statistics14 sources1 sections7 min readUpdated 10 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

1 in 3 women worldwide experiences either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence during their lifetime

Statistic 2

27% of women who have been in a relationship report experiencing physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner

Statistic 3

21% of women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner

Statistic 4

13% of women aged 15–49 have experienced sexual violence from an intimate partner

Statistic 5

Global prevalence estimates indicate 1.3 billion women experience lifetime IPV or non-partner sexual violence (calculation derived from WHO baseline prevalence and female population estimates used in the WHO analysis)

Statistic 6

In the WHO multi-country study, 23.6% of women reported lifetime physical violence by an intimate partner

Statistic 7

In the same WHO multi-country study, 5.3% of women reported lifetime sexual violence by an intimate partner

Statistic 8

In the WHO multi-country study, 13.7% of women reported lifetime physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner

Statistic 9

In the WHO multi-country study, 3.0% of women reported lifetime sexual coercion by an intimate partner

Statistic 10

44% of women in the WHO study reported that physical violence started during pregnancy or worsened during pregnancy (study context varies by country)

Statistic 11

In a WHO analysis, 29% of ever-partnered women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner (global pooled estimate)

Statistic 12

In a WHO analysis, 8% of women have experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner (global pooled estimate)

Statistic 13

In a WHO analysis, 24% of women have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner (global pooled estimate)

Statistic 14

Approximately 133 million women worldwide experienced IPV in the last 12 months (estimate referenced in WHO global analysis)

Statistic 15

133 million corresponds to an estimated annual prevalence of about 7% of women of reproductive age experiencing IPV in the last year (WHO-based estimate)

Statistic 16

34% of women aged 15–49 in the WHO multi-country study reported psychological violence from an intimate partner

Statistic 17

9% of women in the WHO multi-country study reported controlling behaviors by an intimate partner (study context)

Statistic 18

12% of women in the WHO multi-country study reported economic violence by an intimate partner

Statistic 19

In a systematic review, IPV prevalence during pregnancy ranged from 1% to 28% depending on study and setting (reviewed and reported range)

Statistic 20

In a systematic review, lifetime IPV prevalence among women in low- and middle-income countries ranged from 20% to 30% (reviewed range)

Statistic 21

49% of women reported experiencing emotional violence as the most common form in some national surveys compiled in WHO materials

Statistic 22

In 2019, WHO estimated that 1 in 3 women will experience IPV or sexual violence in their lifetime

Statistic 23

8% of women globally experience sexual violence by an intimate partner (WHO global estimate)

Statistic 24

24% of women globally experience physical violence by an intimate partner (WHO global estimate)

Statistic 25

30% of women globally have experienced at least one form of IPV (WHO global analysis figure presented)

Statistic 26

Estimated global annual number of women experiencing IPV is 133 million (WHO estimate)

Statistic 27

In 2012–2014, surveys in selected settings found 30%–45% of women experienced IPV at some point (range reported across study sites in WHO materials)

Statistic 28

In a 2017 global study, 15%–20% of women reported experiencing IPV in their lifetime in higher-income settings studied (range reported)

Statistic 29

In a 2019 global review, 25%–35% of women experienced IPV in sub-Saharan Africa across included surveys (range reported)

Statistic 30

In a systematic review, prevalence of IPV among women in refugee and displaced populations ranged from 20% to 30% across included studies (range)

Statistic 31

In a meta-analysis, IPV prevalence among pregnant women averaged 28% in included studies (pooled estimate)

Statistic 32

In a systematic review, lifetime IPV prevalence in South Asia was around 25% in many surveys (reviewed figure)

Statistic 33

In a systematic review, lifetime IPV prevalence in Latin America averaged about 25% (reviewed estimate)

Statistic 34

In a cross-national analysis, the global average prevalence of physical IPV was approximately 23% among women in DHS surveys compiled in WHO materials

Statistic 35

In a cross-national analysis, the global average prevalence of sexual IPV was approximately 5% among women in DHS surveys compiled in WHO materials

Statistic 36

In the WHO global health estimates for burden of IPV, intimate partner violence accounts for 4% of the global burden of disease in women aged 15–44 (WHO statement)

Statistic 37

4% of the global burden of disease estimate is attributed to intimate partner violence among women aged 15–44 in WHO reporting

Statistic 38

IPV causes more death, disability, and ill-health among women aged 15–44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and war in the WHO comparison of causes

Statistic 39

Millions of women experience IPV annually: 133 million women in the past year is the WHO estimate (lifetime distinct from annual prevalence)

Statistic 40

Globally, 1 in 4 women report emotional violence from an intimate partner in some national survey findings synthesized in WHO materials (approximate stated figure in WHO review)

Statistic 41

In the WHO multi-country study, 35.6% of women reported psychological violence by an intimate partner (lifetime prevalence in the study)

Statistic 42

In the WHO multi-country study, 22.1% of women reported threats by an intimate partner (lifetime)

Statistic 43

In the WHO multi-country study, 7.4% of women reported forced sex by an intimate partner (lifetime)

Statistic 44

In the WHO multi-country study, 19.1% of women reported acts of physical violence by an intimate partner (lifetime)

Statistic 45

In the WHO multi-country study, 13.2% of women reported acts of sexual violence by an intimate partner (lifetime)

Statistic 46

In the WHO multi-country study, 13.7% of women reported physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner (lifetime)

Statistic 47

Victimization rates for intimate partner violence are highest where laws and services are weaker; WHO notes large differences across countries and regions (range in DHS-based compiled estimates)

Statistic 48

In WHO multi-country study, 26.4% of women reported that they had experienced physical violence since age 15 (lifetime)

Statistic 49

In WHO multi-country study, 12.0% of women reported experiencing sexual violence since age 15 (lifetime)

Statistic 50

In a WHO analysis, 42% of women experiencing IPV report injuries (country-specific figures summarized by WHO)

Statistic 51

5.4% of women in the WHO multi-country study reported experiencing severe physical violence by an intimate partner (lifetime)

Statistic 52

6.0% of women in the WHO multi-country study reported severe sexual violence by an intimate partner (lifetime, study context)

Statistic 53

Nearly 60% of women report being psychologically affected by IPV in survey evidence synthesized by WHO (share varies by country)

Statistic 54

Nearly 1 in 3 women experiences partner violence and/or non-partner sexual violence globally (WHO framing as 1 in 3 women lifetime)

Statistic 55

Intimate partner violence is estimated to affect about 27% of women worldwide (physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner)

Statistic 56

In a global meta-analysis, IPV prevalence among women aged 15–19 averaged around 25% in included studies (age-specific synthesis)

Statistic 57

In a systematic review, IPV prevalence among adolescents and young women averaged roughly 22% across studies (pooled estimate)

Statistic 58

In the WHO multi-country study, women aged 15–19 had lower lifetime IPV prevalence than older groups but still showed measurable IPV rates (reported by age band in study)

Statistic 59

IPV affects women across all socioeconomic groups, but risk is higher where poverty and gender inequality are higher (WHO global framing supported by regional analyses)

Sources
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Isabelle Moreau

Written by Isabelle Moreau·Edited by Marcus Afolabi·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 11, 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.

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Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Nearly 1 in 3 women worldwide will experience physical and or sexual intimate partner violence or non partner sexual violence at some point in their lives, based on the WHO framing of global prevalence. Yet the same datasets show that the annual impact is massive too, with about 133 million women experiencing IPV in the last 12 months and pregnancy emerging as a high risk window for violence to begin or worsen. This post pulls those global estimates together with breakdowns across types and regions to show where patterns hold and where they sharply diverge.

Key Takeaways

  • 1 in 3 women worldwide experiences either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence during their lifetime
  • 27% of women who have been in a relationship report experiencing physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner
  • 21% of women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner

Nearly one in three women worldwide experiences intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence in her lifetime.

Related reading

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Prevalence

11 in 3 women worldwide experiences either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence during their lifetime[1]
Single source
227% of women who have been in a relationship report experiencing physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner[1]
Verified
321% of women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner[1]
Verified
413% of women aged 15–49 have experienced sexual violence from an intimate partner[1]
Single source
5Global prevalence estimates indicate 1.3 billion women experience lifetime IPV or non-partner sexual violence (calculation derived from WHO baseline prevalence and female population estimates used in the WHO analysis)[2]
Single source
6In the WHO multi-country study, 23.6% of women reported lifetime physical violence by an intimate partner[3]
Single source
7In the same WHO multi-country study, 5.3% of women reported lifetime sexual violence by an intimate partner[3]
Verified
8In the WHO multi-country study, 13.7% of women reported lifetime physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner[3]
Verified
9In the WHO multi-country study, 3.0% of women reported lifetime sexual coercion by an intimate partner[3]
Verified
1044% of women in the WHO study reported that physical violence started during pregnancy or worsened during pregnancy (study context varies by country)[3]
Verified
11In a WHO analysis, 29% of ever-partnered women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner (global pooled estimate)[2]
Verified
12In a WHO analysis, 8% of women have experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner (global pooled estimate)[2]
Verified
13In a WHO analysis, 24% of women have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner (global pooled estimate)[2]
Verified
14Approximately 133 million women worldwide experienced IPV in the last 12 months (estimate referenced in WHO global analysis)[4]
Single source
15133 million corresponds to an estimated annual prevalence of about 7% of women of reproductive age experiencing IPV in the last year (WHO-based estimate)[4]
Verified
1634% of women aged 15–49 in the WHO multi-country study reported psychological violence from an intimate partner[3]
Verified
179% of women in the WHO multi-country study reported controlling behaviors by an intimate partner (study context)[3]
Verified
1812% of women in the WHO multi-country study reported economic violence by an intimate partner[3]
Verified
19In a systematic review, IPV prevalence during pregnancy ranged from 1% to 28% depending on study and setting (reviewed and reported range)[5]
Single source
20In a systematic review, lifetime IPV prevalence among women in low- and middle-income countries ranged from 20% to 30% (reviewed range)[6]
Directional
2149% of women reported experiencing emotional violence as the most common form in some national surveys compiled in WHO materials[2]
Directional
22In 2019, WHO estimated that 1 in 3 women will experience IPV or sexual violence in their lifetime[1]
Verified
238% of women globally experience sexual violence by an intimate partner (WHO global estimate)[2]
Single source
2424% of women globally experience physical violence by an intimate partner (WHO global estimate)[2]
Directional
2530% of women globally have experienced at least one form of IPV (WHO global analysis figure presented)[2]
Verified
26Estimated global annual number of women experiencing IPV is 133 million (WHO estimate)[4]
Verified
27In 2012–2014, surveys in selected settings found 30%–45% of women experienced IPV at some point (range reported across study sites in WHO materials)[2]
Verified
28In a 2017 global study, 15%–20% of women reported experiencing IPV in their lifetime in higher-income settings studied (range reported)[7]
Verified
29In a 2019 global review, 25%–35% of women experienced IPV in sub-Saharan Africa across included surveys (range reported)[8]
Verified
30In a systematic review, prevalence of IPV among women in refugee and displaced populations ranged from 20% to 30% across included studies (range)[9]
Directional
31In a meta-analysis, IPV prevalence among pregnant women averaged 28% in included studies (pooled estimate)[10]
Verified
32In a systematic review, lifetime IPV prevalence in South Asia was around 25% in many surveys (reviewed figure)[11]
Verified
33In a systematic review, lifetime IPV prevalence in Latin America averaged about 25% (reviewed estimate)[12]
Single source
34In a cross-national analysis, the global average prevalence of physical IPV was approximately 23% among women in DHS surveys compiled in WHO materials[2]
Verified
35In a cross-national analysis, the global average prevalence of sexual IPV was approximately 5% among women in DHS surveys compiled in WHO materials[2]
Directional
36In the WHO global health estimates for burden of IPV, intimate partner violence accounts for 4% of the global burden of disease in women aged 15–44 (WHO statement)[1]
Single source
374% of the global burden of disease estimate is attributed to intimate partner violence among women aged 15–44 in WHO reporting[1]
Verified
38IPV causes more death, disability, and ill-health among women aged 15–44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and war in the WHO comparison of causes[1]
Directional
39Millions of women experience IPV annually: 133 million women in the past year is the WHO estimate (lifetime distinct from annual prevalence)[4]
Single source
40Globally, 1 in 4 women report emotional violence from an intimate partner in some national survey findings synthesized in WHO materials (approximate stated figure in WHO review)[2]
Verified
41In the WHO multi-country study, 35.6% of women reported psychological violence by an intimate partner (lifetime prevalence in the study)[3]
Verified
42In the WHO multi-country study, 22.1% of women reported threats by an intimate partner (lifetime)[3]
Verified
43In the WHO multi-country study, 7.4% of women reported forced sex by an intimate partner (lifetime)[3]
Single source
44In the WHO multi-country study, 19.1% of women reported acts of physical violence by an intimate partner (lifetime)[3]
Verified
45In the WHO multi-country study, 13.2% of women reported acts of sexual violence by an intimate partner (lifetime)[3]
Verified
46In the WHO multi-country study, 13.7% of women reported physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner (lifetime)[3]
Verified
47Victimization rates for intimate partner violence are highest where laws and services are weaker; WHO notes large differences across countries and regions (range in DHS-based compiled estimates)[4]
Verified
48In WHO multi-country study, 26.4% of women reported that they had experienced physical violence since age 15 (lifetime)[3]
Verified
49In WHO multi-country study, 12.0% of women reported experiencing sexual violence since age 15 (lifetime)[3]
Verified
50In a WHO analysis, 42% of women experiencing IPV report injuries (country-specific figures summarized by WHO)[2]
Verified
515.4% of women in the WHO multi-country study reported experiencing severe physical violence by an intimate partner (lifetime)[3]
Single source
526.0% of women in the WHO multi-country study reported severe sexual violence by an intimate partner (lifetime, study context)[3]
Verified
53Nearly 60% of women report being psychologically affected by IPV in survey evidence synthesized by WHO (share varies by country)[4]
Directional
54Nearly 1 in 3 women experiences partner violence and/or non-partner sexual violence globally (WHO framing as 1 in 3 women lifetime)[1]
Verified
55Intimate partner violence is estimated to affect about 27% of women worldwide (physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner)[1]
Verified
56In a global meta-analysis, IPV prevalence among women aged 15–19 averaged around 25% in included studies (age-specific synthesis)[13]
Verified
57In a systematic review, IPV prevalence among adolescents and young women averaged roughly 22% across studies (pooled estimate)[14]
Verified
58In the WHO multi-country study, women aged 15–19 had lower lifetime IPV prevalence than older groups but still showed measurable IPV rates (reported by age band in study)[3]
Verified
59IPV affects women across all socioeconomic groups, but risk is higher where poverty and gender inequality are higher (WHO global framing supported by regional analyses)[2]
Verified

Prevalence Interpretation

Across the world, about 1 in 3 women experience intimate partner physical and or sexual violence or non-partner sexual violence over their lifetime, and WHO estimates this still translates into around 133 million women being affected every year.

More related reading

More related reading

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
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Global Domestic Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-domestic-violence-statistics
MLA
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Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Global Domestic Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-domestic-violence-statistics.

References

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ncbi.nlm.nih.govncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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