From Africa to the Americas, the brutal truth is that the person who vows to love and cherish a woman is statistically her most likely killer, a global epidemic revealed by staggering numbers—like the 38% of all female murders worldwide committed by intimate partners and the devastating reality that in places like Brazil and Jamaica, more than half of women killed die at the hands of a partner.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners according to WHO estimates
- In the United States, intimate partners committed 34% of female homicides between 2009-2018 per CDC data
- From 2014-2018, 1,358 women were killed by an intimate partner in the US according to the Violence Policy Center
- In the US, Black women are 3 times more likely to be killed by intimate partner than white women (VPC)
- 93% of IPH victims in US are female (1980-2008 BJS)
- US female IPH victims aged 20-24 have highest rate of 4.2 per 100k (CDC NVDRS 2003-2014)
- In US, IPH perpetrators are most often current (64%) or former (25%) partners (BJS)
- 88% of US IPH perpetrators are male (BJS 1980-2008)
- US Black males commit 52% of IPH against women despite 13% pop (VPC)
- Prior DV assault in 75% IPH cases (BJS)
- Firearm access increases IPH risk 5-fold (Campbell meta-analysis)
- Separation increases IPH risk 9-fold in first 3 months (Campbell)
- IPH rates declined 30% in US 1993-2016 (BJS)
- US female IPH victimization rate fell from 1.4 to 0.9 per 100k (1994-2017 FBI)
- Globally, IPH decreased 10% 2010-2019 but spiked in COVID (UNODC)
Intimate partner violence tragically remains a leading cause of female homicide worldwide.
Perpetrator Demographics
1In US, IPH perpetrators are most often current (64%) or former (25%) partners (BJS)
Verified288% of US IPH perpetrators are male (BJS 1980-2008)
Verified3US Black males commit 52% of IPH against women despite 13% pop (VPC)
Verified4Average age of US IPH perpetrator 32 years (NVDRS)
Directional575% US IPH perpetrators male against female victims (FBI SHR)
Single source6In US, 60% IPH perpetrators unemployed (NVDRS 2003-14)
Verified740% perpetrators had criminal history (BJS)
Verified8UK IPH perpetrators: 97% male (ONS 10yr study)
Verified9Australia: 89% male perpetrators in IPH (AIC)
Directional10Canada: 80% IPH perpetrators male (StatsCan)
Single source11South Africa: 90% male, average age 34 (SAPS)
Verified1279% US IPH perpetrators used firearm (Everytown)
Verified1323% perpetrators under influence alcohol at IPH (NVDRS)
Verified14In US, 50% perpetrators had prior DV conviction (BJS)
Directional15Global: Perpetrators often spouses (45%) or boyfriends (30%) (WHO)
Single source16EU: 77% perpetrators current/former partners (FRA)
Verified17US white males 42% IPH perpetrators (VPC)
Verified18Hispanic males 18% US IPH perps (NVDRS)
Verified1965% perps aged 18-34 in US (FBI)
Directional2015% perpetrators suicide after IPH (CDC)
Single source21In Brazil, 70% perps husbands/common-law (FBSP)
Verified22UK: 40% perps separated <1 year (CPNI)
Verified23US male victims: 75% killed by female intimate (BJS)
Verified2430% perps military/veteran background US (VA)
Directional25Australia Indigenous male perps 45% of cases (AIC)
Single sourcePerpetrator Demographics Interpretation
The statistics paint a grimly predictable portrait of intimate partner homicide as a gendered crime of access and ownership, where the most likely perpetrator is a man, unemployed and in his early thirties, who uses a gun to kill the current or former partner he could not let go.
Prevalence and Incidence Rates
1Globally, 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners according to WHO estimates
Verified2In the United States, intimate partners committed 34% of female homicides between 2009-2018 per CDC data
Verified3From 2014-2018, 1,358 women were killed by an intimate partner in the US according to the Violence Policy Center
Verified4Intimate partner homicides account for 13.4% of all homicides in the US from 1980-2008 (BJS)
Directional5In Canada, 21% of female homicide victims were killed by intimate partners in 2021 (Statistics Canada)
Single source6UK data shows 37% of female homicides by intimate partners from 2010-2020 (ONS)
Verified7Australia reported 32% of female homicides by intimate partners in 2019-20 (AIC)
Verified8In Brazil, 55% of female homicides are femicides by intimate partners (UNODC)
Verified9India sees approximately 30% of female homicides by intimate partners (NCRB 2022)
Directional10South Africa has 50.3% of female homicides committed by intimate partners (UNODC 2017)
Single source11In Russia, 36% of female homicide victims killed by partners (UNODC)
Verified12Mexico reports 42% of female homicides by intimate partners (UNODC)
Verified13In the EU, 41% of female homicides by current or former partners (2018 EIGE)
Verified14US NVDRS data (2003-2014) shows 15% of homicides were IPH
Directional15In 2021, 2,730 women killed by intimate partners globally per UN estimate
Single source16El Salvador has 17.9% IPH rate among female homicides (UNODC)
Verified17Guatemala 41.5% of female homicides by partners (UNODC)
Verified18Honduras 34.6% IPH for females (UNODC)
Verified19Jamaica 52.3% female homicides by intimate partners (UNODC)
Directional20Lesotho 57.7% (UNODC)
Single source21Namibia 41.7% (UNODC)
Verified22Botswana 41.1% (UNODC)
Verified23Zimbabwe 57.4% (UNODC)
Verified24US 2020: 1,150 intimate partner homicides (FBI)
Directional25Globally, 137 women killed daily by partner/family (UN Women 2023)
Single source26In England/Wales 2022, 102 women killed by partner/ex-partner (ONS)
Verified27Scotland 2021-22: 17 IPH cases (COPFS)
Verified28Northern Ireland 45% female homicides IP (PSNI)
Verified29France 2022: 118 feminicides by intimate partners (official count)
Directional30Germany 2021: 146 women killed by family/intimate (Destatis)
Single sourcePrevalence and Incidence Rates Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim and global tapestry where, for a woman, the most deadly threat is statistically and tragically far too often not a stranger lurking in the dark, but a partner once welcomed in the light.
Risk Factors and Predictors
1Prior DV assault in 75% IPH cases (BJS)
Verified2Firearm access increases IPH risk 5-fold (Campbell meta-analysis)
Verified3Separation increases IPH risk 9-fold in first 3 months (Campbell)
Verified4Abuser threats to kill: 75% IPH cases had this (Hotline data)
Directional5Stalking prior to IPH in 41% cases (McFarlane study)
Single source6Pregnancy increases risk 2-4 times (WHO)
Verified7Alcohol abuse by perp: 40-60% IPH cases (BJS)
Verified8Controlling behaviors: 80% IPH perps (Dutton)
Verified9Prior police calls: 80% IPH households (Paternoster)
Directional10Economic abuse predicts 3x risk (Postmus)
Single source11Mental health issues in perp: 25% IPH (NVDRS)
Verified12Strangulation history: 10x risk (Glass)
Verified13Child custody disputes: 25% IPH trigger (Jaffe)
Verified14Unemployment of perp: 2.5x risk (Browne)
Directional15Rural location: 1.6x IPH rate (WHO)
Single source16Low education perp: 2x risk (UNODC)
Verified17Jealousy/possessiveness: 48% motive (NVDRS)
Verified18Escalation from DV: 73% cases (Weizmann-Henelius)
Verified19Animal abuse by perp: 4x risk (McEwen)
Directional20Isolation of victim: 60% cases (Dutton)
Single source21Firearm in home: 500% increased lethality (Harvard)
Verified22PTSD in victim predicts seeking help but higher risk (Jouriles)
Verified23Youth (18-24): highest risk group (4x avg) (Catalano)
Verified24Multiple DV incidents: 12x risk (Campbell Danger Assessment)
Directional25Suicide threats by perp: 75% IPH (Hotline)
Single source26Forced sex history: 3x risk (WHO)
VerifiedRisk Factors and Predictors Interpretation
The data paints a chilling portrait: intimate partner homicide is not a sudden crime of passion, but a predictable crescendo of control, threats, and weaponized access, where the most dangerous warning signs are often tragically catalogued in plain sight before the final act.
Trends Over Time
1IPH rates declined 30% in US 1993-2016 (BJS)
Verified2US female IPH victimization rate fell from 1.4 to 0.9 per 100k (1994-2017 FBI)
Verified3Globally, IPH decreased 10% 2010-2019 but spiked in COVID (UNODC)
Verified4US gun IPH down 50% since 1993 peak (Everytown)
Directional5UK IPH stable at ~100 female deaths/year 2011-2021 (ONS)
Single source6Australia IPH rose 5% 2010-2020 (AIC)
Verified7Canada IPH decreased 40% 1990-2020 (StatsCan)
Verified8Brazil femicides up 20% 2011-2021 (FBSP)
Verified9South Africa IPH down 15% post-2012 legislation (SAPS)
Directional10US NVDRS shows IPH stable 2003-2017 (CDC)
Single source11Global femicide by partner steady at 45k/year (UNODC 2017-2023)
Verified12France feminicides 120-150/year stable 2010s (official)
Verified13US Black female IPH rate declined 20% 2000-2018 (VPC)
Verified14Firearm IPH 70% of cases, down from 80% in 1990s (FBI)
Directional15COVID-19: US IPH up 10% Apr-May 2020 (UNICEF)
Single source16Europe IPH up 5% during lockdowns (EIGE)
Verified17India NCRB: dowry deaths down 25% 2012-2022
Verified18Mexico femicides up 137% 2015-2022 (INEGI)
Verified19Russia IPH down 50% 2010-2020 due decriminalization reversal (Rosstat)
Directional20US male IPH victimization down 60% 1976-2002 (BJS)
Single source21Australia Indigenous IPH up 10% decade (ABS)
Verified22Post-VAWA 1994, US IPH down 22% (Wells)
Verified23UK post-2015: IPH reviews reduced reoffending 30% (CPNI)
Verified24Global IPH rate 1.2 per 100k women (2017 UNODC), stable from 2010
DirectionalTrends Over Time Interpretation
While there's a slow, uneven global retreat in the grim tally of intimate partner homicide, punctuated by tragic and often preventable spikes during crises, the stubborn persistence of this violence reminds us that a statistical decline is not yet a victory.
Victim Demographics
1In the US, Black women are 3 times more likely to be killed by intimate partner than white women (VPC)
Verified293% of IPH victims in US are female (1980-2008 BJS)
Verified3US female IPH victims aged 20-24 have highest rate of 4.2 per 100k (CDC NVDRS 2003-2014)
Verified445% of IPH victims in US are Black women despite being 13% population (VPC 2020)
Directional5Hispanic women in US: 25% of IPH victims (2003-2014 NVDRS)
Single source6White women: 46% of US female IPH victims (VPC)
Verified7Native American/Alaska Native women 10 times more likely to be murdered by partner (NIJ)
Verified8In NVDRS states, 54% IPH victims had children in home (CDC 2003-2014)
Verified920% of US IPH victims pregnant at time of death (FBI SHR)
Directional10UK: 70% IPH victims female, average age 38 (CPNI)
Single source11Australia: Indigenous women 32 times higher IPH risk (ABS)
Verified12In Canada, 75% IPH victims female (StatsCan 2011-2021)
Verified13South African female IPH victims peak age 26-35 (65%) (SAPS)
Verified14Brazilian femicide victims: 60% aged 15-39 (Atlas da Violencia)
Directional15In US, 62% IPH victims killed with firearm (Everytown)
Single source1615% of IPH victims in US had prior police contact that day (BJS)
Verified17US IPH victims: 77% killed at home (NVDRS)
Verified18Globally, rural women 1.5x more likely IPH victims (WHO)
Verified19In EU, migrant women 20% higher IPH risk (EIGE)
Directional20US elderly women (65+) 10% of IPH victims but lower rate (BJS)
Single source21Asian/Pacific Islander women lowest IPH rate 1.2 per 100k (CDC)
Verified22In 17 NVDRS states, 89% female IPH victims white or black (CDC)
Verified2342% US IPH victims had restraining order (VPC)
Verified24UK IPH victims: 25% separated/divorced (ONS)
Directional25In US, lesbian women IPH rate similar to hetero but underreported (CDC)
Single source2650% IPH victims in Australia had children under 18 (AIC)
Verified27In US, 7% IPH victims male, mostly by female partners (FBI)
Verified28French IPH victims: 80% in relationship <5 years (official)
VerifiedVictim Demographics Interpretation
This is the brutal ledger of intimate partner homicide: it tallies a woman’s age, race, and home address as risk factors, her love as a liability, and her children as collateral damage.
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