Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Statistics

Across countries, intimate partners are tied to a striking share of violence including WHO’s global estimate that 38% of murders of women are committed by intimate partners or family members, alongside mental health impacts with higher odds of depression and PTSD. The page also tracks what that looks like in real life and costs, from Canada’s 4% of women reporting sexual assault by a spouse or ex partner to the U.S. estimate of about $3.6 billion in annual medical costs, so you can see how sexual violence within partnerships is both widespread and far from confined.

29 statistics29 sources6 sections7 min readUpdated 9 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

WHO estimates 38% of murders of women are committed by intimate partners or family members (global estimate)

Statistic 2

Approximately 10% of adolescent girls worldwide report having experienced forced sex at some point in their lives (including forced sexual activity; WHO global estimate)

Statistic 3

In 2019, intimate partners accounted for 42% of female homicide victims in sub-Saharan Africa (UNODC global study by region)

Statistic 4

6% of girls aged 15–19 worldwide report having experienced sexual violence (UNICEF/WHO/UNFPA estimates; adolescent violence)

Statistic 5

WHO multi-country study reported that 9% of women had experienced physical violence by a partner (partner physical violence prevalence)

Statistic 6

In Canada, 4% of women reported sexual assault by a spouse/partner or ex-spouse/ex-partner (Statistics Canada derived from GSS)

Statistic 7

In Japan, 16.2% of women report experiencing sexual violence at some point in their lives (survey-based estimate; IP sexual violence measured within partner violence)

Statistic 8

In Mexico, 23.7% of women reported experiencing any violence by an intimate partner (INEGI; partner violence)

Statistic 9

In India, 1.0% of women report experiencing sexual violence by an intimate partner (NFHS 5; partner violence module)

Statistic 10

In Brazil, 8.7% of women reported sexual violence by a partner/ex-partner in the past 12 months (Ipea/Senado/Atlas da Violencia summaries)

Statistic 11

Women who experienced intimate partner sexual violence have higher odds of depression and PTSD; study reported increased odds (meta-analysis effect sizes)

Statistic 12

Intimate partner sexual violence is associated with significantly higher odds of adverse mental health outcomes; a systematic review reported elevated odds ratios across studies

Statistic 13

A study found intimate partner sexual violence is associated with increased risk of gynecologic morbidity; pooled association reported in systematic review

Statistic 14

Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of alcohol misuse; systematic review reported pooled prevalence and odds ratios across studies

Statistic 15

Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of suicide attempts; systematic review reported elevated odds ratios

Statistic 16

Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of STIs; systematic review reported increased risk across included studies

Statistic 17

Women exposed to intimate partner sexual violence show increased rates of PTSD symptoms; systematic review reported effect sizes

Statistic 18

Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications; systematic review reported higher risk estimates

Statistic 19

Global disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to intimate partner violence are estimated at 1.4 million DALYs in a WHO global burden assessment (year of data varies by study)

Statistic 20

Intimate partner violence is associated with increased odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes; systematic review reported relative risks across outcomes

Statistic 21

A meta-analysis found that women with a history of IPV have elevated risk of experiencing sexual violence again; pooled effect reported in systematic review

Statistic 22

A study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence found that women experiencing IPV have increased rates of health service utilization (quantified in study)

Statistic 23

A RAND/NIJ analysis estimated annual costs of intimate partner violence at about $3.6 billion in medical costs (U.S. estimate)

Statistic 24

The annual economic cost of intimate partner violence in the U.S. including lifetime costs is estimated at $3.9 trillion (model estimate in a widely cited analysis)

Statistic 25

In the U.S., 2019 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) estimated that 1 in 3 women experienced rape, stalking, or intimate partner violence in their lifetime (summary metric)

Statistic 26

A systematic review reported that prevalence of intimate partner sexual violence varies widely but often clusters around single-digit percentages in surveys (pooled prevalence reported)

Statistic 27

In 2018, 23% of women who experienced IPV in Australia sought help (AIHW report on family, domestic and sexual violence)

Statistic 28

In Australia, 11% of women who experienced violence sought police help (AIHW/ABS linked analyses)

Statistic 29

In Canada, 27% of sexual assault victims reported the incident to police (Statistics Canada, GSS)

Sources
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Timothy Grant

Written by Timothy Grant·Edited by David Sutherland·Fact-checked by Abigail Foster

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.

Intimate partner sexual violence cuts across borders and still hides behind private walls, even as the numbers keep resurfacing. WHO estimates that 38% of murders of women are committed by intimate partners or family members, and worldwide about 10% of adolescent girls report forced sex at some point. Yet the country-to-country picture swings sharply from 1.0% in India to 23.7% in Mexico, raising a hard question about what protection, reporting, and prevention actually change.

Key Takeaways

  • WHO estimates 38% of murders of women are committed by intimate partners or family members (global estimate)
  • Approximately 10% of adolescent girls worldwide report having experienced forced sex at some point in their lives (including forced sexual activity; WHO global estimate)
  • In 2019, intimate partners accounted for 42% of female homicide victims in sub-Saharan Africa (UNODC global study by region)
  • In Canada, 4% of women reported sexual assault by a spouse/partner or ex-spouse/ex-partner (Statistics Canada derived from GSS)
  • In Japan, 16.2% of women report experiencing sexual violence at some point in their lives (survey-based estimate; IP sexual violence measured within partner violence)
  • In Mexico, 23.7% of women reported experiencing any violence by an intimate partner (INEGI; partner violence)
  • Women who experienced intimate partner sexual violence have higher odds of depression and PTSD; study reported increased odds (meta-analysis effect sizes)
  • Intimate partner sexual violence is associated with significantly higher odds of adverse mental health outcomes; a systematic review reported elevated odds ratios across studies
  • A study found intimate partner sexual violence is associated with increased risk of gynecologic morbidity; pooled association reported in systematic review
  • A RAND/NIJ analysis estimated annual costs of intimate partner violence at about $3.6 billion in medical costs (U.S. estimate)
  • The annual economic cost of intimate partner violence in the U.S. including lifetime costs is estimated at $3.9 trillion (model estimate in a widely cited analysis)
  • In the U.S., 2019 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) estimated that 1 in 3 women experienced rape, stalking, or intimate partner violence in their lifetime (summary metric)
  • A systematic review reported that prevalence of intimate partner sexual violence varies widely but often clusters around single-digit percentages in surveys (pooled prevalence reported)
  • In 2018, 23% of women who experienced IPV in Australia sought help (AIHW report on family, domestic and sexual violence)
  • In Australia, 11% of women who experienced violence sought police help (AIHW/ABS linked analyses)

Intimate partner sexual violence is widespread globally and tightly linked to severe mental, health, and economic harms.

Related reading

Global Burden

1WHO estimates 38% of murders of women are committed by intimate partners or family members (global estimate)[1]
Directional
2Approximately 10% of adolescent girls worldwide report having experienced forced sex at some point in their lives (including forced sexual activity; WHO global estimate)[2]
Verified
3In 2019, intimate partners accounted for 42% of female homicide victims in sub-Saharan Africa (UNODC global study by region)[3]
Verified
46% of girls aged 15–19 worldwide report having experienced sexual violence (UNICEF/WHO/UNFPA estimates; adolescent violence)[4]
Single source
5WHO multi-country study reported that 9% of women had experienced physical violence by a partner (partner physical violence prevalence)[5]
Verified

Global Burden Interpretation

The global burden of intimate partner sexual violence is stark, with 38% of women murder victims attributed to intimate partners or family and 10% of adolescent girls reporting forced sex, underscoring how partner violence remains a widespread driver of harm across the lifecycle.

Regional & National

1In Canada, 4% of women reported sexual assault by a spouse/partner or ex-spouse/ex-partner (Statistics Canada derived from GSS)[6]
Verified
2In Japan, 16.2% of women report experiencing sexual violence at some point in their lives (survey-based estimate; IP sexual violence measured within partner violence)[7]
Single source
3In Mexico, 23.7% of women reported experiencing any violence by an intimate partner (INEGI; partner violence)[8]
Verified
4In India, 1.0% of women report experiencing sexual violence by an intimate partner (NFHS 5; partner violence module)[9]
Verified
5In Brazil, 8.7% of women reported sexual violence by a partner/ex-partner in the past 12 months (Ipea/Senado/Atlas da Violencia summaries)[10]
Verified

Regional & National Interpretation

Across countries in the Regional and National category, reported intimate partner sexual violence ranges from as low as 1.0% in India to as high as 23.7% in Mexico, showing large national differences in prevalence even within the same measured form of partner violence.

More related reading

Health & Social Impacts

1Women who experienced intimate partner sexual violence have higher odds of depression and PTSD; study reported increased odds (meta-analysis effect sizes)[11]
Verified
2Intimate partner sexual violence is associated with significantly higher odds of adverse mental health outcomes; a systematic review reported elevated odds ratios across studies[12]
Verified
3A study found intimate partner sexual violence is associated with increased risk of gynecologic morbidity; pooled association reported in systematic review[13]
Directional
4Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of alcohol misuse; systematic review reported pooled prevalence and odds ratios across studies[14]
Single source
5Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of suicide attempts; systematic review reported elevated odds ratios[15]
Single source
6Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of STIs; systematic review reported increased risk across included studies[16]
Single source
7Women exposed to intimate partner sexual violence show increased rates of PTSD symptoms; systematic review reported effect sizes[17]
Verified
8Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications; systematic review reported higher risk estimates[18]
Verified
9Global disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to intimate partner violence are estimated at 1.4 million DALYs in a WHO global burden assessment (year of data varies by study)[19]
Verified
10Intimate partner violence is associated with increased odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes; systematic review reported relative risks across outcomes[20]
Verified
11A meta-analysis found that women with a history of IPV have elevated risk of experiencing sexual violence again; pooled effect reported in systematic review[21]
Verified
12A study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence found that women experiencing IPV have increased rates of health service utilization (quantified in study)[22]
Single source

Health & Social Impacts Interpretation

For the Health and Social Impacts category, the evidence consistently links intimate partner violence and intimate partner sexual violence to serious health harms, including substantially higher odds of mental health problems and gynecologic morbidity, with WHO estimating 1.4 million disability-adjusted life years lost due to intimate partner violence.

Economic Costs

1A RAND/NIJ analysis estimated annual costs of intimate partner violence at about $3.6 billion in medical costs (U.S. estimate)[23]
Verified
2The annual economic cost of intimate partner violence in the U.S. including lifetime costs is estimated at $3.9 trillion (model estimate in a widely cited analysis)[24]
Verified

Economic Costs Interpretation

From an economic costs perspective, U.S. estimates show intimate partner sexual violence carries a heavy medical burden of about $3.6 billion annually and, when lifetime impacts are included, totals about $3.9 trillion overall, underscoring how profoundly these harms extend far beyond immediate care.

More related reading

Prevalence Estimates

1In the U.S., 2019 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) estimated that 1 in 3 women experienced rape, stalking, or intimate partner violence in their lifetime (summary metric)[25]
Verified
2A systematic review reported that prevalence of intimate partner sexual violence varies widely but often clusters around single-digit percentages in surveys (pooled prevalence reported)[26]
Verified

Prevalence Estimates Interpretation

For the prevalence estimates category, the U.S. NISVS suggests that 1 in 3 women experienced rape, stalking, or intimate partner violence over their lifetimes, and broader research indicates that intimate partner sexual violence typically shows up as single digit percentages across surveys.

Disclosure & Reporting

1In 2018, 23% of women who experienced IPV in Australia sought help (AIHW report on family, domestic and sexual violence)[27]
Verified
2In Australia, 11% of women who experienced violence sought police help (AIHW/ABS linked analyses)[28]
Verified
3In Canada, 27% of sexual assault victims reported the incident to police (Statistics Canada, GSS)[29]
Verified

Disclosure & Reporting Interpretation

In the disclosure and reporting category, the data show that only a minority of victims come forward, with just 23% of Australian women who experienced IPV seeking help in 2018, 11% seeking police help, and 27% of Canadian sexual assault victims reporting to police.

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

Cite This Report

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APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/intimate-partner-sexual-violence-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/intimate-partner-sexual-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/intimate-partner-sexual-violence-statistics.

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