Intimate partner rape affects people across the United States and worldwide, shaped by relationship dynamics and social vulnerabilities like age, disability, and income. Evidence also shows long-term impacts such as PTSD, depression, physical injury, and chronic pelvic pain. This page walks through who is affected, where risk concentrates, and how underreporting and criminal legal outcomes influence what survivors experience.
Key Takeaways
- Intimate partner rape survivors 4x more likely to suffer PTSD (50% rate) per 2018 NIMH study
- 94% of intimate partner rape victims experience physical injury per 2015 ER data analysis
- Survivors have 2.5x higher depression rates (67%) per NISVS 2016 mental health follow-up
- Only 23% of intimate partner rapes are reported to police per RAINN 2023
- Conviction rates for intimate partner rape are 5.7% of reported cases per BJS 2019
- 80% of reported cases do not lead to arrest per 2020 NIJ prosecutorial review
- 90% of US intimate partner rape perpetrators are male per BJS 2000 report updated 2020
- US male perpetrators of intimate partner rape average age 32 per 2018 NCVS offender data
- 40% of intimate partner rape offenders have prior arrest history per 2015 NIJ study
- In the United States, approximately 1 in 10 women have experienced completed forced penetration, sexual coercion, and/or unwanted sexual contact by an intimate partner in their lifetime according to the 2016/2017 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)
- Globally, 13% of women who have ever been in a relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner according to WHO 2021 estimates
- In the US, 81% of pregnancy-related deaths between 2018-2020 were caused by homicide, with 61.3% perpetrated by an intimate partner, many involving sexual violence components per CDC data
- Among US women aged 18-24, 27.8% experienced intimate partner contact sexual violence per NISVS 2016/17
- Black US women aged 45+ report 14.6% lifetime rape by intimate partner per NISVS 2010
- Low-income US women (<$25k/year) experience 25% higher rates of intimate partner rape per 2015 BJS NCVS
Most intimate partner rape goes unreported and unpunished, leaving survivors facing severe physical and mental harm.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health Impacts21 stats
01
Intimate partner rape survivors 4x more likely to suffer PTSD (50% rate) per 2018 NIMH study
02
94% of intimate partner rape victims experience physical injury per 2015 ER data analysis
03
Survivors have 2.5x higher depression rates (67%) per NISVS 2016 mental health follow-up
04
70% of victims develop chronic pelvic pain post intimate partner rape per ACOG 2020
05
Suicide attempt risk 3.5x higher among survivors per 2019 CDC WISQARS
06
40% of survivors contract STIs post-assault per CDC STI surveillance 2021
07
Unintended pregnancy rate 5% among reproductive-age survivors per Guttmacher 2017
08
82% report sleep disorders lasting >1 year per Sleep Foundation 2022 IPV study
09
Anxiety disorders in 60% of survivors per APA 2013 meta-analysis updated 2021
10
Substance use disorders 2x higher (35%) per SAMHSA 2020 trauma link
11
55% develop somatic symptoms like headaches per WHO 2021 violence health effects
12
Eating disorders 4x risk (25%) post intimate partner rape per NEDA 2019
13
Cardiovascular disease risk 1.8x higher per 2018 AHA IPV study
14
68% experience sexual dysfunction long-term per Journal of Sexual Medicine 2020
15
Immune system suppression leading to 30% more illnesses per 2017 Psychoneuroendocrinology
16
45% of survivors have fibromyalgia diagnosis per Arthritis Foundation 2021
17
Dissociative disorders in 35% per ISTSS 2019 guidelines
18
52% report gastrointestinal disorders per AGA 2020 review
19
Alcohol dependence 2.2x higher per NIAAA 2021
20
75% have hypervigilance symptoms per VA PTSD center 2022
21
Obesity risk 1.5x due to coping mechanisms per Obesity Reviews 2018
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
Health impacts of intimate partner rape are severe and widespread, with half of survivors reporting PTSD and 94% experiencing physical injury, alongside much higher depression rates at 67% and persistent conditions like chronic pelvic pain affecting 70%.
02 · Category
Legal And Justice System20 stats
01
Only 23% of intimate partner rapes are reported to police per RAINN 2023
02
Conviction rates for intimate partner rape are 5.7% of reported cases per BJS 2019
03
80% of reported cases do not lead to arrest per 2020 NIJ prosecutorial review
04
Average sentence for convicted intimate partner rapists is 10 years per USSC 2021
05
Only 2% of intimate partner rape survivors see perpetrator incarcerated >1 year per 2018 BJS FV study
06
False reporting rate for intimate partner rape is 2-10% per 2010 FBI analysis updated 2022
07
67% of cases dropped pre-trial due to victim non-cooperation per 2017 Vera Institute
08
Protective orders issued in 85% of reported cases but violated in 40% per 2020 NCADV
09
Rape shield laws applied in only 30% of intimate partner cases per 2019 ABA review
10
Forensic evidence collected in 50% but used in 10% of prosecutions per NIJ 2021 SAK backlog study
11
Recidivism rate 46% within 3 years for convicted perpetrators per BJS 2019
12
Only 35% of jurisdictions have specialized IPV courts per 2022 NACDL
13
Victim advocates involved in 60% of cases improve conviction by 20% per 2016 DOJ evaluation
14
Plea bargains in 90% of prosecuted cases reduce charges per 2018 PPIC study
15
DNA evidence leads to identification in 25% unsolved cases per 2020 FBI CODIS
16
Restraining order enforcement failure in 33% of violations per 2017 CDC NVDRS
17
Only 15% of survivors receive restitution per 2021 VOCA report
18
Prosecutorial discretion drops 50% of strong evidence cases per 2015 Manhattan DA study
19
Federal VAWA convictions average 8% of state cases per 2022 USDOJ
20
Witness intimidation halts 25% of trials per 2019 Witness Protection stats
Interpretation
Legal And Justice System Interpretation
From the legal and justice system perspective, the pipeline is extremely leaky: only 23% of intimate partner rapes are reported and just 5.7% of those reported cases result in conviction, with 80% of reported cases failing to lead to arrest.
03 · Category
Perpetrator Demographics22 stats
01
90% of US intimate partner rape perpetrators are male per BJS 2000 report updated 2020
02
US male perpetrators of intimate partner rape average age 32 per 2018 NCVS offender data
03
40% of intimate partner rape offenders have prior arrest history per 2015 NIJ study
04
Alcohol involvement in 45% of intimate partner rape cases per CDC 2017 FASTAT
05
Male perpetrators with unemployment rates show 2x higher intimate partner rape per 2019 BLS linked study
06
25% of male intimate partner rapists have substance abuse disorders per SAMHSA 2020 data
07
Hispanic male perpetrators commit 15% of reported intimate partner rapes despite 18% population per NCVS 2019
08
Perpetrators with history of childhood abuse perpetrate 60% of intimate partner rapes per 2016 ACEs study
09
Black male perpetrators involved in 22% of intimate partner rape victimizations per BJS 2018
10
35% of perpetrators are current spouses, 20% ex-spouses per RAINN 2021 stats
11
Male perpetrators aged 18-24 commit 30% of intimate partner rapes per NCVS 2020 youth data
12
Perpetrators with mental health issues account for 28% of cases per 2017 APA review
13
50% of repeat intimate partner rapists have criminal records for prior violence per 2014 BJS recidivism study
14
White male perpetrators in 55% of reported cases per FBI UCR 2019
15
Drug use (non-alcohol) present in 30% of male perpetrators per NIJ 2020 drug-violence link
16
Ex-boyfriends/girlfriends perpetrate 38% of intimate partner rapes per BJS 2006 updated 2021
17
Perpetrators from low SES backgrounds 3x more likely per 2018 World Bank study
18
Military male veterans perpetrate 15% higher intimate partner rape per VA 2019
19
70% of perpetrators knew victim for over 1 year per RAINN perpetrator stats
20
Male perpetrators with controlling behaviors in 85% of cases per Duluth Model evaluation 2020
21
Perpetrators aged 35+ commit 40% of cases per NCVS age data 2017
22
20% of perpetrators are family members beyond spouses per extended BJS definition
Interpretation
Perpetrator Demographics Interpretation
For perpetrator demographics in intimate partner rape, the picture is strongly male with 90% of perpetrators in the US, typically around age 32, and nearly half of cases involving alcohol, while prior arrest history is present for 40% of offenders and substance abuse disorders affect 25%, suggesting that demographic profiles are closely tied to risk factors rather than random circumstance.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prevalence And Incidence29 stats
01
In the United States, approximately 1 in 10 women have experienced completed forced penetration, sexual coercion, and/or unwanted sexual contact by an intimate partner in their lifetime according to the 2016/2017 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)
02
Globally, 13% of women who have ever been in a relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner according to WHO 2021 estimates
03
In the US, 81% of pregnancy-related deaths between 2018-2020 were caused by homicide, with 61.3% perpetrated by an intimate partner, many involving sexual violence components per CDC data
04
Among US women, 22.3% reported lifetime rape victimization by an intimate partner in the 2010 NISVS
05
In England and Wales, 1 in 5 women (20%) have experienced sexual assault by a partner or ex-partner per 2020 Crime Survey for England and Wales
06
Australian women are 7 times more likely to be sexually assaulted by an intimate partner than men, with 1.1% annual prevalence per ABS 2016 Personal Safety Survey
07
In Canada, 46% of women reported sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime per 2018 Statistics Canada survey
08
US college women experience intimate partner rape at a rate of 5.2% lifetime per 2015 National College Health Assessment
09
In India, 26% of ever-married women aged 15-49 have experienced spousal sexual violence per NFHS-5 2019-21
10
South African women report 8% annual intimate partner sexual violence per 2017 South African Medical Research Council study
11
In Brazil, 11% of women experienced intimate partner rape in the past 12 months per 2019 WHO multi-country study update
12
European Union-wide, 1 in 3 women (33%) have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence per 2014 FRA survey
13
In the US, Black women experience intimate partner rape at twice the rate of white women (12.4% vs 6.1% lifetime) per NISVS 2010
14
Indigenous Australian women face intimate partner sexual violence at 5 times the national rate (4.9% annual) per 2016 ABS
15
In Kenya, 14% of women aged 15-49 report intimate partner sexual violence per 2022 DHS
16
US military women report 12.5% lifetime intimate partner rape per 2013 DoD survey
17
In Mexico, 10.3% of women experienced spousal rape per 2016 ENSI
18
Swedish women report 4.7% lifetime intimate partner rape per 2017 NTU survey
19
In Nigeria, 20% of women experienced forced sex by husband per 2018 DHS
20
US lesbian women experience intimate partner rape at 29.4% lifetime per NISVS 2010
21
In Turkey, 12% of ever-married women report spousal sexual violence per 2014 Research on Domestic Violence study
22
New Zealand women aged 18-64 report 6% intimate partner sexual assault per 2019 NZCASS
23
In the Philippines, 6.5% of women experienced intimate partner rape per 2017 NDHS
24
Russian women report 16% lifetime spousal rape per 2010 WHO study
25
US Hispanic women have 10.4% lifetime intimate partner rape per NISVS 2016/17
26
In Egypt, 13.6% of women aged 15-49 experienced spousal sexual violence per 2014 DHS
27
French women report 2.9% annual intimate partner sexual violence per 2015 Enveff update
28
In Bangladesh, 28% of women report forced sex by husband per 2017-18 DHS
29
US bisexual women experience 46.1% lifetime intimate partner rape per NISVS 2010
Interpretation
Prevalence And Incidence Interpretation
Across the prevalence and incidence data, rates of intimate partner sexual violence are alarmingly high, with about 1 in 10 US women reporting completed forced penetration or sexual coercion and 13% of women worldwide reporting physical and or sexual violence by an intimate partner, showing this is a widespread and recurring harm rather than a rare incident.
05 · Category
Victim Demographics23 stats
01
Among US women aged 18-24, 27.8% experienced intimate partner contact sexual violence per NISVS 2016/17
02
Black US women aged 45+ report 14.6% lifetime rape by intimate partner per NISVS 2010
03
Low-income US women (<$25k/year) experience 25% higher rates of intimate partner rape per 2015 BJS NCVS
04
US women with disabilities report 2x higher intimate partner rape prevalence (15%) per 2018 NISVS special report
05
Rural US women face 1.5 times higher intimate partner sexual violence rates than urban per 2020 HRSA data
06
US women aged 35-49 have the highest intimate partner rape rate (12.5%) per NISVS 2010
07
Lesbian US women under 50 report 44% lifetime sexual violence by intimate partner per NISVS 2010
08
Indigenous US women experience intimate partner rape at 35% lifetime per NIJ 2016 report
09
US immigrant women report 2-4 times higher intimate partner sexual violence due to documentation status per 2010 Urban Institute study
10
Transgender US women face 47% lifetime intimate partner rape per 2015 USTS
11
US women with college education have 8% lower intimate partner rape rates than high school or less per NISVS 2016/17
12
Hispanic US women aged 18-24 report 15.2% intimate partner sexual violence per NISVS 2010
13
US women in same-sex relationships experience sexual violence from partners at 43.8% lifetime per NISVS 2010
14
Elderly US women (65+) report underreported intimate partner rape but at 4.1% per 2019 NCEA data
15
US women veterans have 23% higher intimate partner rape rates per 2017 VAWnet study
16
Pregnant US women experience intimate partner sexual violence at 8.3% per 2018 PRAMS data
17
US women with mental health conditions report 3x higher intimate partner rape per 2020 SAMHSA survey
18
Bisexual US women of color have 50%+ lifetime intimate partner rape per NISVS intersectional analysis
19
US teen girls (14-17) experience 16% intimate partner rape per 2013 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey
20
White US women report 7.8% lifetime intimate partner rape per NISVS 2010
21
US women in poverty (<100% FPL) have 18.2% intimate partner rape rate per 2016 HHS data
22
Asian US women underreport but estimate 6.5% lifetime per 2014 NW Network study
23
US women aged 25-34 report 13.1% intimate partner contact sexual violence per NISVS 2016/17
Interpretation
Victim Demographics Interpretation
Across US victim demographics, intimate partner rape is not evenly distributed, with the highest reported burden showing up among groups such as women aged 18 to 24 at 27.8% and women with disabilities at 15%, underscoring that certain populations face substantially greater risk than the overall pattern suggests.
report visual · Key figures
Health impacts after intimate partner rape are widespread
High shares of survivors report multiple long-term physical and mental health consequences—pain, sleep problems, and PTSD among them.
50%
Intimate partner rape survivors 4x more likely to suffer PTSD (50% rate) per 2018 NIMH study
82%
82% report sleep disorders lasting >1 year per Sleep Foundation 2022 IPV study
70%
70% of victims develop chronic pelvic pain post intimate partner rape per ACOG 2020
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). Intimate Partner Rape Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/intimate-partner-rape-statistics
MLA
Christopher Morgan. "Intimate Partner Rape Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/intimate-partner-rape-statistics.
Chicago
Christopher Morgan. 2026. "Intimate Partner Rape Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/intimate-partner-rape-statistics.
Sources & references
59 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level