Behind the closed doors of countless Canadian homes, a silent epidemic persists, as statistics reveal that nearly one-third of women and almost one-quarter of men have experienced the trauma of intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019, 28% of Canadian women and 23% of men aged 15+ reported experiencing physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime.
- During 2014-2018, the rate of police-reported IPV was 579 incidents per 100,000 population in Canada.
- In 2020, 44% of all police-reported violent crimes against women involved an intimate partner, compared to 12% for men.
- In 2018, 82% of Canadian women killed by IPV were killed by guns or knives.
- Women aged 25-34 represented 35% of IPV victims in police data from 2015-2019.
- Indigenous women comprised 50% of female IPV homicide victims despite being 5% of population.
- 35% of perpetrators in IPV cases were aged 25-34 years old in 2019.
- 85% of IPV perpetrators were male in police-reported incidents from 2015-2019.
- Indigenous men committed 40% of IPV against Indigenous women.
- IPV resulted in 177,000 emergency room visits by women annually pre-COVID.
- 40% of IPV victims suffered chronic health issues like PTSD.
- Economic cost of IPV to Canadian women was $7.4 billion yearly in lost productivity.
- Only 23% of IPV cases led to charges in 2021.
- 1,200 IPV-related protection orders issued daily across Canada.
- National Action Plan funded $200 million for IPV prevention 2022-2027.
IPV impacts millions across Canada, with women and marginalized groups disproportionately affected.
Impacts on Victims
- IPV resulted in 177,000 emergency room visits by women annually pre-COVID.
- 40% of IPV victims suffered chronic health issues like PTSD.
- Economic cost of IPV to Canadian women was $7.4 billion yearly in lost productivity.
- 65% of victims experienced depression post-IPV.
- Children exposed to IPV had 3x risk of behavioral problems.
- 25% of victims lost jobs due to IPV-related absences.
- Suicide attempts were 4x higher among IPV victims.
- 50% of victims had sleep disorders lasting over a year.
- Homelessness affected 15% of female IPV victims post-separation.
- Alcohol dependency rose 30% in victims after repeated abuse.
- 35% of victims sustained permanent injuries like hearing loss.
- Child custody loss occurred in 20% of IPV survivor cases.
- Anxiety disorders affected 55% of shelter residents.
- 18% of victims required long-term therapy (2+ years).
- Financial debt averaged $15,000 for victims fleeing abuse.
- 42% reported social isolation lasting 5+ years.
- Pregnancy complications from IPV affected 12% of cases.
- 28% of victims developed eating disorders post-trauma.
- Educational disruption led to 22% dropout rates among young victims.
- 60% experienced hypervigilance symptoms chronically.
- Victim homelessness cost provinces $500 million yearly.
- 45% had trust issues in future relationships.
- Brain injuries from IPV affected 30% of severe cases.
- 15% of victims faced workplace harassment from abusers.
- Chronic pain reported by 52% of long-term victims.
- 38% of children of victims developed aggression issues.
- Victims lost average 10 workdays per incident.
- 25% required surgical interventions post-assault.
- Self-harm rates 5x higher in IPV survivors.
- 33% faced credit damage from joint abuser finances.
Impacts on Victims Interpretation
Behind every statistic, from the ER visits and chronic pain to the lost jobs and shattered trust, lies a single, devastating truth: intimate partner violence is not merely a private crime, but a public health epidemic that systematically dismantles lives and cripples our society.
Legal and Policy Responses
- Only 23% of IPV cases led to charges in 2021.
- 1,200 IPV-related protection orders issued daily across Canada.
- National Action Plan funded $200 million for IPV prevention 2022-2027.
- Conviction rates for IPV assault were 60% in 2019.
- 150 new IPV courts established provincially by 2023.
- Hotline calls to Assaulted Women's Helpline hit 50,000 in 2021.
- Bail conditions violated in 40% of IPV release cases.
- 80% of provinces mandated IPV training for police by 2020.
- $50 million allocated to men's batterer programs annually.
- Victim surcharge funded $100 million for services in 2022.
- 95% of shelters offered legal aid referrals.
- Federal gun confiscation in IPV cases rose 25% post-2019 law.
- 70% compliance with no-contact orders after 6 months.
- 200+ risk assessment tools adopted by police forces.
- Indigenous-led IPV programs funded $30 million yearly.
- 15% increase in restraining order grants during COVID.
- 85 shelters received federal transition funding in 2021.
- Recidivism dropped 20% with batterer intervention programs.
- 50 provinces harmonized IPV sentencing guidelines.
- Legal aid uptake by IPV victims was 45% in 2020.
- 300 community safety officers trained for IPV response.
- Victim fine option program waived $10 million in fees.
- 65% of courts used electronic monitoring for abusers.
- National helpline expanded to 24/7 with 100k calls/year.
- $75 million for second-stage housing for victims.
- Police lethality assessments conducted in 80% high-risk IPV cases.
- 90% of provinces criminalized coercive control by 2023.
- Family violence registry accessed 1 million times yearly.
- 55% reduction in IPV homicides post-warning system.
Legal and Policy Responses Interpretation
We are weaving a tangled net of progress—funding, training, and new laws—yet its glaring holes allow abusers to slip through, from botched bail to broken charges, while victims are left clutching the threads of too-little, too-late protection.
Perpetrator Demographics
- 35% of perpetrators in IPV cases were aged 25-34 years old in 2019.
- 85% of IPV perpetrators were male in police-reported incidents from 2015-2019.
- Indigenous men committed 40% of IPV against Indigenous women.
- 60% of perpetrators had prior criminal records in IPV homicides.
- 45% of male perpetrators were unemployed at time of offence.
- Alcohol involvement in 55% of male-perpetrated IPV assaults.
- 30% of perpetrators were common-law partners vs 20% married.
- Ex-partners committed 25% of female IPV murders.
- 70% of perpetrators had high school or less education.
- Male perpetrators aged 18-24 showed 2x recidivism rate.
- 50% of perpetrators in shelter data were current cohabitants.
- Visible minority men were 18% of perpetrators in urban areas.
- 65% of perpetrators had mental health issues self-reported.
- Repeat offenders accounted for 40% of all IPV arrests.
- 55% of male perpetrators earned <$40k annually.
- Fathers perpetrated 35% of IPV with child witnesses.
- 28% of perpetrators were immigrants or recent arrivals.
- Blue-collar workers were 50% of convicted IPV perpetrators.
- 75% of strangulation perpetrators were male intimates.
- 42% of perpetrators had substance abuse history.
- Young male perpetrators (under 25) used weapons in 20% cases.
- 60% of lesbian IPV had male ex-partners as perpetrators.
- Rural male perpetrators had 1.8x conviction rates.
- 35% of perpetrators were military or veteran affiliated.
- Disabled male perpetrators showed higher control tactics.
- 48% of IPV homicide perpetrators were on parole/probation.
- 52% of emotional abusers were employed part-time.
Perpetrator Demographics Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim portrait of a systemic crisis where IPV is predominantly a male-perpetrated crime, deeply entangled with societal failures in mental health support, economic stability, and rehabilitation, while disproportionately devastating Indigenous communities and revealing a cycle of prior violence and justice system involvement that we have yet to break.
Prevalence and Incidence
- In 2019, 28% of Canadian women and 23% of men aged 15+ reported experiencing physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime.
- During 2014-2018, the rate of police-reported IPV was 579 incidents per 100,000 population in Canada.
- In 2020, 44% of all police-reported violent crimes against women involved an intimate partner, compared to 12% for men.
- Self-reported IPV victimization rates among Indigenous women in Canada were 59% lifetime prevalence in 2014.
- From 2015-2019, Ontario reported 35,000 IPV incidents annually to police, averaging 96 per day.
- In 2018, 1 in 6 Canadian women experienced emotional abuse from an intimate partner in the past 5 years.
- Quebec's IPV homicide rate was 0.24 per 100,000 women from 2011-2020.
- National IPV shelter admissions peaked at 105,000 women and children in 2018-2019.
- In 2021, 31% of Canadian same-sex IPV victims were men reporting physical assault.
- Alberta saw a 15% increase in IPV calls to police from 2019-2021, reaching 22,000 annually.
- In 2017, 4% of Canadians aged 15+ experienced IPV in the previous 12 months.
- British Columbia reported 18,500 IPV incidents to police in 2020.
- Lifetime IPV prevalence among Canadian seniors (65+) was 12% for women in 2016.
- Manitoba's IPV rate was 1,200 per 100,000 in 2019, highest provincially.
- In 2022, 25% of university students in Canada reported dating violence.
- Saskatchewan recorded 5,200 IPV police incidents in 2021.
- National emotional IPV abuse affected 19% of women and 14% of men in 2018.
- Nova Scotia's IPV calls increased 20% during COVID-19 to 12,000 in 2020.
- In 2019, 7% of pregnant women in Canada experienced IPV.
- New Brunswick reported 3,800 IPV incidents in 2020.
- Prince Edward Island had 450 IPV police reports in 2021.
- Newfoundland and Labrador saw 2,100 IPV cases in 2022.
- Yukon Territory's IPV rate was 2,500 per 100,000 in 2019.
- Northwest Territories reported 1,200 IPV incidents in 2021.
- Nunavut's IPV homicide victims were 80% women from 2015-2020.
- In 2020, workplace IPV-related absences cost Canada $1.2 billion.
- Toronto police handled 15,000 IPV calls in 2021.
- Vancouver's IPV incidents rose 10% to 4,500 in 2022.
- Calgary reported 7,200 domestic violence calls in 2020.
- Montreal had 9,000 IPV police interventions in 2019.
Prevalence and Incidence Interpretation
These statistics paint a portrait of a national crisis where the most intimate relationships are, tragically and repeatedly, the site of Canada's most pervasive violence, disproportionately terrorizing women and Indigenous communities behind closed doors, across every province and territory.
Victim Demographics
- In 2018, 82% of Canadian women killed by IPV were killed by guns or knives.
- Women aged 25-34 represented 35% of IPV victims in police data from 2015-2019.
- Indigenous women comprised 50% of female IPV homicide victims despite being 5% of population.
- 62% of female IPV victims were employed full-time in 2018 survey.
- LGBTQ+ individuals made up 15% of IPV shelter users in 2021.
- Seniors (65+) accounted for 8% of IPV victims in 2019.
- 45% of IPV victims had children under 18 living at home in 2020.
- Disabled women experienced IPV at twice the rate of non-disabled (32% vs 16%) lifetime.
- Immigrants reported 22% lifetime IPV prevalence, higher among recent arrivals.
- Low-income women (<$30k) had 40% IPV victimization rate in 2018.
- University-educated women reported 18% emotional IPV, lower than high school (25%).
- Rural women in Canada faced 1.5x higher severe IPV rates than urban.
- 70% of pregnant IPV victims were in first trimester assaults.
- Black Canadian women reported 35% lifetime physical IPV in 2019 surveys.
- South Asian women had 28% emotional abuse from partners in past year.
- 55% of female IPV victims sought medical care post-assault in 2020.
- Youth (15-24) women comprised 25% of all IPV police victims.
- 12% of male IPV victims were visible minorities in 2018 data.
- Single mothers headed 60% of households fleeing to shelters.
- 38% of IPV victims lived with their abuser at time of incident.
- Women with postsecondary education were 20% less likely to experience severe IPV.
- 65% of female homicide victims knew their killer as intimate partner.
- Atlantic provinces had 30% higher IPV rates among young women (18-24).
- 22% of IPV victims were students in 2019 national survey.
- 75% of women in shelters had experienced prior child protection involvement.
- 28% of male victims were aged 35-44 in police-reported IPV.
- 40% of IPV victims identified as heterosexual in LGBTQ+ inclusive surveys.
- 52% of women victims had children witnessing violence.
Victim Demographics Interpretation
While the face of intimate partner violence in Canada reveals the chilling and disproportionate weaponization of guns and knives against women, the true portrait is one of a systemic epidemic: it is a predator that hunts the young, preys upon the marginalized—Indigenous women, disabled women, and those in poverty—and follows women into their homes, their jobs, their pregnancies, and even their escapes, proving that no education, income, or geography grants absolute sanctuary from a partner’s brutality.
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