Intimate violence affects millions in the U.S. and worldwide, with women disproportionately impacted and young adults reporting especially high rates. This page explores patterns of risk, from controlling behaviors by current or former partners to violations of restraining orders and the role of alcohol. You’ll also see how IPV can shape mental health outcomes like depression and PTSD, plus the reporting and response systems—from underreporting to mandatory arrest policies and available supports.
Key Takeaways
- Lifetime healthcare costs $103,000 per victim
- US annual IPV cost $8.3 billion medical
- Lost productivity $1.5 trillion over lifetime
- IPV victims 3x more likely to suffer depression
- 41% IPV victims develop PTSD
- Suicide attempts 2.2x higher among IPV victims
- VAWA funding $400 million annually
- Only 34% IPV crimes reported to police
- 50 states have mandatory arrest policies
- 75% of perpetrators are current or former partners
- 85% of domestic violence perpetrators are male
- Alcohol involved in 25-50% of IPV incidents
- 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence
- Globally, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence
- 10 million Americans experience domestic violence each year
Intimate partner violence costs billions, harms mental health, and affects millions, yet most crimes go unreported.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Costs21 stats
01
Lifetime healthcare costs $103,000per victim
02
US annual IPV cost $8.3 billion medical
03
Lost productivity $1.5 trillion over lifetime
04
8 million work days lost yearly
05
Criminal justice costs $37 billion annually
06
Women lose 7 million paid workdays yearly
07
42% victims miss work due to abuse
08
Shelter costs $1.8 billion annually in US
09
Global economic cost 2% GDP
10
Property loss $400 million yearly
11
Victim earnings reduced by 19%
12
74% victims cite economic abuse
13
Child welfare costs $2 billion yearly
14
Mental health treatment $6.8 billion
15
Ambulance services $4.2 billion annually
16
Police response costs $4.5 billion
17
Court processing $1.2 billion
18
Incarceration $5.8 billion yearly
19
89% victims supported financially by abusers
20
Lifetime victim cost $3.6 trillion
21
60% victims unemployed due to abuse
Interpretation
Economic Costs Interpretation
From an economic costs perspective, intimate partner violence is not only costly in healthcare with $103,000 per victim but also imposes massive financial strain each year through $37 billion in criminal justice costs and $8.3 billion in medical expenses, alongside major productivity losses totaling 1.5 trillion over victims’ lifetimes.
02 · Category
Health Consequences21 stats
01
IPV victims 3x more likely to suffer depression
02
41% IPV victims develop PTSD
03
Suicide attempts 2.2x higher among IPV victims
04
Heart disease risk increases 70% for abused women
05
37% victims report chronic pain
06
Alcohol abuse 9x higher in IPV victims
07
Pregnancy complications 2x in abused women
08
50% victims have anxiety disorders
09
Central nervous system disorders 1.5x risk
10
Asthma risk 57% higher
11
92% child abuse co-occurs with IPV
12
Victims 16% more likely to have stroke
13
Gastrointestinal disorders 80% higher
14
Eating disorders 3x prevalence
15
Immune disorders increased by 50%
16
Sleep disturbances in 70% victims
17
Arthritis risk 28% higher
18
61% victims seek mental health care
19
Hypertension 1.5x in abused women
20
Diabetes risk 52% increased
21
35% victims report self-harm
Interpretation
Health Consequences Interpretation
Under the Health Consequences category, intimate partner violence is linked to severe mental and physical harm, including 41% of victims developing PTSD and a 70% higher risk of heart disease for abused women.
03 · Category
Legal Aspects19 stats
01
VAWA funding $400 million annually
02
Only 34% IPV crimes reported to police
03
50 states have mandatory arrest policies
04
80% restraining orders violated
05
IPV homicides down 64% post-VAWA
06
1 in 5 felony convictions are IPV
07
Pro-arrest policies reduce revictimization 64%
08
Batterer intervention programs mandated in 45 states
09
Dual arrests in 20% cases despite primary aggressor laws
10
Firearm restrictions reduce IPV homicide 10%
11
85% victims get protection orders
12
Conviction rates 70% for prosecuted IPV
13
No-drop prosecution in 18 states
14
Custody decisions consider IPV in 40 states
15
Federal funding increased 500% since 1994
16
Elder abuse laws cover IPV in all states
17
Stalking convictions average 2 years prison
18
IPV misdemeanors federalized post-VAWA
19
GPS monitoring reduces violations 75%
Interpretation
Legal Aspects Interpretation
In the legal aspects of intimate violence, stronger enforcement and support appear to be working, with IPV homicides down 64% after VAWA funding of $400 million annually, even as only 34% of IPV crimes are reported to police and 80% of restraining orders are violated.
More related reading
04 · Category
Perpetrator Characteristics20 stats
01
75% of perpetrators are current or former partners
02
85% of domestic violence perpetrators are male
03
Alcohol involved in 25-50% of IPV incidents
04
80% of abusers control finances
05
Male perpetrators more likely to use weapons in 10% cases
06
Perpetrators with criminal history: 80% reoffend
07
Jealousy motivates 30% of male perpetrators
08
Unemployed perpetrators 3x more likely to abuse
09
Childhood abuse history in 63% perpetrators
10
Male high school students: 11% admit perpetrating physical violence
11
40-60% perpetrators have personality disorders
12
Drug use involved in 40% IPV cases
13
Young male perpetrators (18-24): highest rates
14
50% abusers isolate victims from family
15
Perpetrators with PTSD: 2x risk
16
Low education perpetrators: higher violence
17
30% perpetrators stalk post-separation
18
Batterers intervention reduces recidivism by 33%
19
Minority male perpetrators face higher arrest rates
20
70% perpetrators deny violence
Interpretation
Perpetrator Characteristics Interpretation
Within the perpetrator characteristics category, most intimate violence is driven by current or former partners, with 75% of perpetrators fitting that relationship pattern and 85% of domestic violence perpetrators being male.
05 · Category
Prevalence Rates30 stats
01
1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence
02
Globally, 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence
03
10 million Americans experience domestic violence each year
04
48.4% of women and 48.8% of men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner
05
Lifetime prevalence of IPV among women is 36% in the US
06
1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men have experienced completed or attempted rape by an intimate partner
07
41% of women worldwide report intimate partner violence
08
In the EU, 22% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a partner
09
35% of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner
10
US women experience over 4 million physical assaults by intimate partners annually
11
29% of men in the US report IPV victimization
12
In India, 30% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence from husbands
13
1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have been stalked by an intimate partner
14
Lifetime IPV prevalence for bisexual women is 61.1%
15
25% of high school girls experience physical or sexual dating violence
16
In Australia, 23% of women have experienced partner violence since age 15
17
1 in 5 women in Canada report spousal violence
18
UK women: 5% experienced domestic abuse in the last year
19
In Brazil, 10% of women report recent intimate partner violence
20
South Africa: 25.3% lifetime IPV prevalence among women
21
In the US, 91.8% of stalking victims are women
22
8.3 million days of paid work lost annually due to IPV in US
23
43 million women and 38 million men in US have experienced psychological aggression
24
In low-income countries, 37.7% women experience IPV
25
US adolescents: 10% report physical dating violence
26
Globally, 38% of murders of women by intimate partners
27
In Mexico, 43.9% women experienced violence from partner
28
1 in 3 teenage girls in US is victim of abuse
29
In Egypt, 31.9% ever-married women experienced IPV
30
Russia: 16,000 women killed by partners annually
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
In the prevalence rates for intimate violence, the data show that physical and sexual harm is widespread with 1 in 3 women globally experiencing physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, while in the US about 36% of women report lifetime IPV.
06 · Category
Victim Demographics22 stats
01
Women aged 18-24 report highest IPV rates at 9.1% annually in US
02
Black women experience IPV at 1.5 times the rate of white women
03
84% of IPV victims are women
04
Hispanic women: 14% annual IPV victimization rate
05
Rural women 1.38 times more likely to experience IPV
06
Transgender individuals experience IPV at 44% lifetime rate
07
Women with disabilities 40% more likely to experience IPV
08
Low-income women: 4x higher IPV rates
09
Pregnant women: 1 in 6 experience IPV
10
Indigenous women in US: 84% lifetime violence
11
Elderly women: 5% experience abuse from intimate partners
12
Bisexual women: 61% lifetime IPV
13
College women: 27% experience IPV
14
Asian American women: lower reporting but 19% prevalence
15
Women veterans: 1 in 3 experience IPV
16
LGBTQ women: 44% IPV victimization
17
Single mothers: higher IPV risk by 3x
18
Immigrant women: 48% IPV rate
19
Women with children under 12: 53% IPV
20
Urban women aged 18-34: peak IPV at 8.5%
21
White women: 35% lifetime IPV
22
Men aged 18-24: highest male IPV victimization at 5.9%
Interpretation
Victim Demographics Interpretation
From a victim demographics perspective, IPV disproportionately affects women and younger groups, with women aged 18 to 24 reporting the highest annual rate at 9.1% and Black women experiencing IPV at 1.5 times the rate of white women.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Intimate Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/intimate-violence-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Intimate Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/intimate-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Intimate Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/intimate-violence-statistics.
Sources & references
50 datasets cited across this report