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
- 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)
- Average age of US IPH perpetrator 32 years (NVDRS)
- 75% US IPH perpetrators male against female victims (FBI SHR)
- In US, 60% IPH perpetrators unemployed (NVDRS 2003-14)
- 40% perpetrators had criminal history (BJS)
- UK IPH perpetrators: 97% male (ONS 10yr study)
- Australia: 89% male perpetrators in IPH (AIC)
- Canada: 80% IPH perpetrators male (StatsCan)
- South Africa: 90% male, average age 34 (SAPS)
- 79% US IPH perpetrators used firearm (Everytown)
- 23% perpetrators under influence alcohol at IPH (NVDRS)
- In US, 50% perpetrators had prior DV conviction (BJS)
- Global: Perpetrators often spouses (45%) or boyfriends (30%) (WHO)
- EU: 77% perpetrators current/former partners (FRA)
- US white males 42% IPH perpetrators (VPC)
- Hispanic males 18% US IPH perps (NVDRS)
- 65% perps aged 18-34 in US (FBI)
- 15% perpetrators suicide after IPH (CDC)
- In Brazil, 70% perps husbands/common-law (FBSP)
- UK: 40% perps separated <1 year (CPNI)
- US male victims: 75% killed by female intimate (BJS)
- 30% perps military/veteran background US (VA)
- Australia Indigenous male perps 45% of cases (AIC)
Perpetrator 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
- 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
- Intimate partner homicides account for 13.4% of all homicides in the US from 1980-2008 (BJS)
- In Canada, 21% of female homicide victims were killed by intimate partners in 2021 (Statistics Canada)
- UK data shows 37% of female homicides by intimate partners from 2010-2020 (ONS)
- Australia reported 32% of female homicides by intimate partners in 2019-20 (AIC)
- In Brazil, 55% of female homicides are femicides by intimate partners (UNODC)
- India sees approximately 30% of female homicides by intimate partners (NCRB 2022)
- South Africa has 50.3% of female homicides committed by intimate partners (UNODC 2017)
- In Russia, 36% of female homicide victims killed by partners (UNODC)
- Mexico reports 42% of female homicides by intimate partners (UNODC)
- In the EU, 41% of female homicides by current or former partners (2018 EIGE)
- US NVDRS data (2003-2014) shows 15% of homicides were IPH
- In 2021, 2,730 women killed by intimate partners globally per UN estimate
- El Salvador has 17.9% IPH rate among female homicides (UNODC)
- Guatemala 41.5% of female homicides by partners (UNODC)
- Honduras 34.6% IPH for females (UNODC)
- Jamaica 52.3% female homicides by intimate partners (UNODC)
- Lesotho 57.7% (UNODC)
- Namibia 41.7% (UNODC)
- Botswana 41.1% (UNODC)
- Zimbabwe 57.4% (UNODC)
- US 2020: 1,150 intimate partner homicides (FBI)
- Globally, 137 women killed daily by partner/family (UN Women 2023)
- In England/Wales 2022, 102 women killed by partner/ex-partner (ONS)
- Scotland 2021-22: 17 IPH cases (COPFS)
- Northern Ireland 45% female homicides IP (PSNI)
- France 2022: 118 feminicides by intimate partners (official count)
- Germany 2021: 146 women killed by family/intimate (Destatis)
Prevalence 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
- 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)
- Abuser threats to kill: 75% IPH cases had this (Hotline data)
- Stalking prior to IPH in 41% cases (McFarlane study)
- Pregnancy increases risk 2-4 times (WHO)
- Alcohol abuse by perp: 40-60% IPH cases (BJS)
- Controlling behaviors: 80% IPH perps (Dutton)
- Prior police calls: 80% IPH households (Paternoster)
- Economic abuse predicts 3x risk (Postmus)
- Mental health issues in perp: 25% IPH (NVDRS)
- Strangulation history: 10x risk (Glass)
- Child custody disputes: 25% IPH trigger (Jaffe)
- Unemployment of perp: 2.5x risk (Browne)
- Rural location: 1.6x IPH rate (WHO)
- Low education perp: 2x risk (UNODC)
- Jealousy/possessiveness: 48% motive (NVDRS)
- Escalation from DV: 73% cases (Weizmann-Henelius)
- Animal abuse by perp: 4x risk (McEwen)
- Isolation of victim: 60% cases (Dutton)
- Firearm in home: 500% increased lethality (Harvard)
- PTSD in victim predicts seeking help but higher risk (Jouriles)
- Youth (18-24): highest risk group (4x avg) (Catalano)
- Multiple DV incidents: 12x risk (Campbell Danger Assessment)
- Suicide threats by perp: 75% IPH (Hotline)
- Forced sex history: 3x risk (WHO)
Risk 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
- 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)
- US gun IPH down 50% since 1993 peak (Everytown)
- UK IPH stable at ~100 female deaths/year 2011-2021 (ONS)
- Australia IPH rose 5% 2010-2020 (AIC)
- Canada IPH decreased 40% 1990-2020 (StatsCan)
- Brazil femicides up 20% 2011-2021 (FBSP)
- South Africa IPH down 15% post-2012 legislation (SAPS)
- US NVDRS shows IPH stable 2003-2017 (CDC)
- Global femicide by partner steady at 45k/year (UNODC 2017-2023)
- France feminicides 120-150/year stable 2010s (official)
- US Black female IPH rate declined 20% 2000-2018 (VPC)
- Firearm IPH 70% of cases, down from 80% in 1990s (FBI)
- COVID-19: US IPH up 10% Apr-May 2020 (UNICEF)
- Europe IPH up 5% during lockdowns (EIGE)
- India NCRB: dowry deaths down 25% 2012-2022
- Mexico femicides up 137% 2015-2022 (INEGI)
- Russia IPH down 50% 2010-2020 due decriminalization reversal (Rosstat)
- US male IPH victimization down 60% 1976-2002 (BJS)
- Australia Indigenous IPH up 10% decade (ABS)
- Post-VAWA 1994, US IPH down 22% (Wells)
- UK post-2015: IPH reviews reduced reoffending 30% (CPNI)
- Global IPH rate 1.2 per 100k women (2017 UNODC), stable from 2010
Trends 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
- 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)
- 45% of IPH victims in US are Black women despite being 13% population (VPC 2020)
- Hispanic women in US: 25% of IPH victims (2003-2014 NVDRS)
- White women: 46% of US female IPH victims (VPC)
- Native American/Alaska Native women 10 times more likely to be murdered by partner (NIJ)
- In NVDRS states, 54% IPH victims had children in home (CDC 2003-2014)
- 20% of US IPH victims pregnant at time of death (FBI SHR)
- UK: 70% IPH victims female, average age 38 (CPNI)
- Australia: Indigenous women 32 times higher IPH risk (ABS)
- In Canada, 75% IPH victims female (StatsCan 2011-2021)
- South African female IPH victims peak age 26-35 (65%) (SAPS)
- Brazilian femicide victims: 60% aged 15-39 (Atlas da Violencia)
- In US, 62% IPH victims killed with firearm (Everytown)
- 15% of IPH victims in US had prior police contact that day (BJS)
- US IPH victims: 77% killed at home (NVDRS)
- Globally, rural women 1.5x more likely IPH victims (WHO)
- In EU, migrant women 20% higher IPH risk (EIGE)
- US elderly women (65+) 10% of IPH victims but lower rate (BJS)
- Asian/Pacific Islander women lowest IPH rate 1.2 per 100k (CDC)
- In 17 NVDRS states, 89% female IPH victims white or black (CDC)
- 42% US IPH victims had restraining order (VPC)
- UK IPH victims: 25% separated/divorced (ONS)
- In US, lesbian women IPH rate similar to hetero but underreported (CDC)
- 50% IPH victims in Australia had children under 18 (AIC)
- In US, 7% IPH victims male, mostly by female partners (FBI)
- French IPH victims: 80% in relationship <5 years (official)
Victim 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.
Sources & References
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