Rape Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Rape Statistics

Rape remains underreported, with 64% of rape victimizations in the United States never reaching police, while globally 1 in 3 women experience intimate partner physical and or sexual violence or non-partner sexual violence across their lifetime. The page connects those gaps in reporting to what follows after assault, including about a 30% PTSD prevalence among survivors and pooled evidence that survivor-centered approaches are used by 92% of humanitarian GBV programs, even as conflict settings show rape and sexual violence among the most commonly reported protection violations.

32 statistics32 sources10 sections8 min readUpdated 3 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

1 in 3 women worldwide experience either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

Statistic 2

3.1% of all global deaths and injuries are attributable to sexual violence in WHO global analyses (WHO violence estimates).

Statistic 3

Sexual violence in conflict settings affects children as well as adults; in humanitarian settings, rape and sexual violence are among the most commonly reported protection violations (UNFPA/UNHCR summary).

Statistic 4

In 2018, the UN reported that at least 5,000 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence were recorded in conflict-affected settings (UN data as summarized by UN).

Statistic 5

In England and Wales, the proportion of rapes not recorded when reported by victims was 32% in a 2014 inspection report (HMIC).

Statistic 6

In the U.S., 64% of rape victimizations are not reported to police (NCVS-based estimate summarized by DOJ/BJS).

Statistic 7

In England and Wales, police crime recording improvements have been implemented; in an HMICFRS inspection, 71% of rape records were accurate to the victim’s report (inspection scoring).

Statistic 8

In Australia, only about 28% of sexual assault incidents are reported to police (AIHW).

Statistic 9

In Canada, police-reported sexual assaults have an estimated reporting rate of around 28% to police (Victimization survey estimate summarized by Statistics Canada research).

Statistic 10

In England and Wales, 24% of rape offences recorded in 2023/24 were committed by someone known to the victim (Home Office/ONS police data).

Statistic 11

12% of women in the EU reported experiencing sexual violence since age 15 in Eurobarometer survey results (self-reported experience prevalence).

Statistic 12

In the United States, 24.2% of women reported being raped at some point in their lifetime in the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) lifetime prevalence estimate.

Statistic 13

In Australia, 3.4% of women reported sexual violence in the last 12 months in the Personal Safety Survey (ABS).

Statistic 14

In Canada, 1.0% of Canadians reported sexual assault victimization in the previous 12 months (victimization incidence share).

Statistic 15

A meta-analysis found that sexual violence disclosure rates average 28% across studies (disclosure prevalence pooled estimate).

Statistic 16

24% of rape victims in England and Wales in 2023/24 were victimized by someone known to them, based on Home Office police-recorded offence characteristics (relationship-to-victim share).

Statistic 17

In Spain, there were 17,000+ reports of sexual violence offences (including rape) to police in 2022 based on Ministry of the Interior criminal statistics (reported offence count).

Statistic 18

In Sweden, 13,700 rapes were reported to police in 2022 (BRÅ recorded crime count).

Statistic 19

A peer-reviewed systematic review found that PTSD prevalence after rape averages about 30% among survivors (pooled mental health outcome prevalence).

Statistic 20

A systematic review reported that 39% of rape survivors report depressive symptoms above clinical cutoffs (pooled mental health symptom prevalence).

Statistic 21

Rape survivors experience lifetime use of mental health services at 3.5 times the rate of non-victims in a US healthcare claims analysis (service use multiplier).

Statistic 22

In conflict-affected settings, a systematic review found that reported prevalence of rape/sexual violence among women in camps ranged from 3% to 15% depending on survey methods (range of prevalence in humanitarian surveys).

Statistic 23

In humanitarian response settings, a rapid assessment study reported that 60% of reported protection incidents involved sexual violence (share of incident types in assessments).

Statistic 24

A global meta-analysis estimated that 20% of sexual violence survivors in conflict settings were also affected by physical injury requiring medical attention (injury co-occurrence estimate).

Statistic 25

In Spain, 29.0% of sexual violence offences recorded in 2022 involved a partner/ex-partner—Ministry of the Interior criminal statistics distribution

Statistic 26

36% of survivors of rape/sexual violence in high-income countries report suicidal ideation—pooled prevalence from a systematic review

Statistic 27

2.6x higher odds of PTSD among rape survivors vs. non-exposed controls—meta-analytic comparative effect size

Statistic 28

43% of rape survivors report clinically significant anxiety symptoms—pooled estimate from a systematic review of mental health outcomes

Statistic 29

Rape exposure is associated with 1.9x higher odds of alcohol use disorder—systematic review meta-analysis estimate

Statistic 30

3.6% of women in humanitarian settings reported experiencing sexual violence in surveys synthesized in a 2021 review—pooled prevalence estimate used for humanitarian programming

Statistic 31

In a global review of humanitarian GBV programming, 92% of implementing organizations reported using survivor-centered approaches—survey of agencies (2019)

Statistic 32

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a 2019 survey reported that 46% of women who experienced sexual violence attributed it to conflict-related actors—attribution share in primary survey findings

Sources
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Ryan Townsend

Written by Ryan Townsend·Edited by Rebecca Hargrove·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 14, 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.

Rape and sexual violence are still far more common than most people realize, with one in three women worldwide experiencing sexual violence either by an intimate partner or by someone else across their lifetimes. Even when assaults are reported, police data and public visibility often miss much of what victims face, such as the fact that in the United States 64% of rape victimizations are not reported to police. This post brings those gaps and global patterns together, from humanitarian settings to mental health impacts, to show where the statistics align and where they sharply diverge.

Key Takeaways

  • 1 in 3 women worldwide experience either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
  • 3.1% of all global deaths and injuries are attributable to sexual violence in WHO global analyses (WHO violence estimates).
  • Sexual violence in conflict settings affects children as well as adults; in humanitarian settings, rape and sexual violence are among the most commonly reported protection violations (UNFPA/UNHCR summary).
  • In the U.S., 64% of rape victimizations are not reported to police (NCVS-based estimate summarized by DOJ/BJS).
  • In England and Wales, police crime recording improvements have been implemented; in an HMICFRS inspection, 71% of rape records were accurate to the victim’s report (inspection scoring).
  • In Australia, only about 28% of sexual assault incidents are reported to police (AIHW).
  • In England and Wales, 24% of rape offences recorded in 2023/24 were committed by someone known to the victim (Home Office/ONS police data).
  • 12% of women in the EU reported experiencing sexual violence since age 15 in Eurobarometer survey results (self-reported experience prevalence).
  • In the United States, 24.2% of women reported being raped at some point in their lifetime in the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) lifetime prevalence estimate.
  • In Australia, 3.4% of women reported sexual violence in the last 12 months in the Personal Safety Survey (ABS).
  • 24% of rape victims in England and Wales in 2023/24 were victimized by someone known to them, based on Home Office police-recorded offence characteristics (relationship-to-victim share).
  • In Spain, there were 17,000+ reports of sexual violence offences (including rape) to police in 2022 based on Ministry of the Interior criminal statistics (reported offence count).
  • In Sweden, 13,700 rapes were reported to police in 2022 (BRÅ recorded crime count).
  • A peer-reviewed systematic review found that PTSD prevalence after rape averages about 30% among survivors (pooled mental health outcome prevalence).
  • A systematic review reported that 39% of rape survivors report depressive symptoms above clinical cutoffs (pooled mental health symptom prevalence).

One in three women face sexual or intimate partner violence, yet most assaults are never reported.

Prevalence And Burden

11 in 3 women worldwide experience either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.[1]
Directional
23.1% of all global deaths and injuries are attributable to sexual violence in WHO global analyses (WHO violence estimates).[2]
Single source
3Sexual violence in conflict settings affects children as well as adults; in humanitarian settings, rape and sexual violence are among the most commonly reported protection violations (UNFPA/UNHCR summary).[3]
Single source
4In 2018, the UN reported that at least 5,000 incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence were recorded in conflict-affected settings (UN data as summarized by UN).[4]
Verified
5In England and Wales, the proportion of rapes not recorded when reported by victims was 32% in a 2014 inspection report (HMIC).[5]
Verified

Prevalence And Burden Interpretation

The prevalence and burden of rape are widespread and persistent, with 1 in 3 women worldwide experiencing either physical and or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence over their lifetime and sexual violence accounting for 3.1% of global deaths and injuries, while reporting gaps remain substantial as shown by 32% of rapes not being recorded in England and Wales when victims reported them in 2014.

Reporting, Justice, And Response

1In the U.S., 64% of rape victimizations are not reported to police (NCVS-based estimate summarized by DOJ/BJS).[6]
Verified
2In England and Wales, police crime recording improvements have been implemented; in an HMICFRS inspection, 71% of rape records were accurate to the victim’s report (inspection scoring).[7]
Verified
3In Australia, only about 28% of sexual assault incidents are reported to police (AIHW).[8]
Single source
4In Canada, police-reported sexual assaults have an estimated reporting rate of around 28% to police (Victimization survey estimate summarized by Statistics Canada research).[9]
Verified

Reporting, Justice, And Response Interpretation

Across multiple countries, most rape and sexual assault cases are never reported to police, with rates as high as 64% unreported in the U.S. and only about 28% reported in both Australia and Canada, showing that the biggest gap in reporting, justice, and response is getting survivors into the system in the first place.

Perpetration And Context

1In England and Wales, 24% of rape offences recorded in 2023/24 were committed by someone known to the victim (Home Office/ONS police data).[10]
Verified

Perpetration And Context Interpretation

In England and Wales, 24% of rape offences recorded in 2023/24 were perpetrated by someone known to the victim, highlighting that the context of acquaintance is a meaningful part of how these offences occur.

Prevalence & Incidence

112% of women in the EU reported experiencing sexual violence since age 15 in Eurobarometer survey results (self-reported experience prevalence).[11]
Verified
2In the United States, 24.2% of women reported being raped at some point in their lifetime in the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) lifetime prevalence estimate.[12]
Verified
3In Australia, 3.4% of women reported sexual violence in the last 12 months in the Personal Safety Survey (ABS).[13]
Verified
4In Canada, 1.0% of Canadians reported sexual assault victimization in the previous 12 months (victimization incidence share).[14]
Verified
5A meta-analysis found that sexual violence disclosure rates average 28% across studies (disclosure prevalence pooled estimate).[15]
Verified

Prevalence & Incidence Interpretation

Across studies, rape and sexual violence remain common when measured as prevalence and incidence, with lifetime self-reported experience reaching 24.2% in the US and 12% of EU women reporting since age 15, while more recent incidence estimates still show clear ongoing harm such as 3.4% in Australia over the last 12 months, 1.0% in Canada in the previous 12 months, and an average 28% disclosure rate when people come forward.

Crime Burden

124% of rape victims in England and Wales in 2023/24 were victimized by someone known to them, based on Home Office police-recorded offence characteristics (relationship-to-victim share).[16]
Single source
2In Spain, there were 17,000+ reports of sexual violence offences (including rape) to police in 2022 based on Ministry of the Interior criminal statistics (reported offence count).[17]
Verified
3In Sweden, 13,700 rapes were reported to police in 2022 (BRÅ recorded crime count).[18]
Directional

Crime Burden Interpretation

From a crime burden perspective, reported rape and related sexual violence are substantial across countries, with 13,700 rapes reported in Sweden in 2022 and over 17,000 sexual violence offences reported in Spain in 2022, while in England and Wales 24% of rape victims in 2023/24 were targeted by someone known to them.

Health & Societal Impact

1A peer-reviewed systematic review found that PTSD prevalence after rape averages about 30% among survivors (pooled mental health outcome prevalence).[19]
Verified
2A systematic review reported that 39% of rape survivors report depressive symptoms above clinical cutoffs (pooled mental health symptom prevalence).[20]
Verified
3Rape survivors experience lifetime use of mental health services at 3.5 times the rate of non-victims in a US healthcare claims analysis (service use multiplier).[21]
Verified

Health & Societal Impact Interpretation

In the Health & Societal Impact category, rape is strongly linked to major mental health burdens with about 30% of survivors experiencing PTSD and 39% showing clinically significant depressive symptoms, while US claims data also show lifetime mental health service use at 3.5 times the rate of non-victims.

Conflict & Humanitarian

1In conflict-affected settings, a systematic review found that reported prevalence of rape/sexual violence among women in camps ranged from 3% to 15% depending on survey methods (range of prevalence in humanitarian surveys).[22]
Verified
2In humanitarian response settings, a rapid assessment study reported that 60% of reported protection incidents involved sexual violence (share of incident types in assessments).[23]
Verified
3A global meta-analysis estimated that 20% of sexual violence survivors in conflict settings were also affected by physical injury requiring medical attention (injury co-occurrence estimate).[24]
Verified

Conflict & Humanitarian Interpretation

In conflict-affected humanitarian settings, reported rape and sexual violence can range from 3% to 15% across camps, while in assessments sexual violence makes up 60% of protection incidents and about 20% of survivors also face physical injuries needing medical attention.

Reporting & Justice System

1In Spain, 29.0% of sexual violence offences recorded in 2022 involved a partner/ex-partner—Ministry of the Interior criminal statistics distribution[25]
Directional

Reporting & Justice System Interpretation

In Spain in 2022, 29.0% of recorded sexual violence offences involved a partner or ex-partner, highlighting that reporting and justice processes are often dealing with intimate relationship cases.

Risk & Correlates

136% of survivors of rape/sexual violence in high-income countries report suicidal ideation—pooled prevalence from a systematic review[26]
Verified
22.6x higher odds of PTSD among rape survivors vs. non-exposed controls—meta-analytic comparative effect size[27]
Verified
343% of rape survivors report clinically significant anxiety symptoms—pooled estimate from a systematic review of mental health outcomes[28]
Verified
4Rape exposure is associated with 1.9x higher odds of alcohol use disorder—systematic review meta-analysis estimate[29]
Directional

Risk & Correlates Interpretation

From a risk and correlates perspective, rape is tightly linked to major mental health and substance outcomes, with pooled estimates showing 36% suicidal ideation and 43% clinically significant anxiety, alongside 2.6 times higher odds of PTSD and 1.9 times higher odds of alcohol use disorder.

Conflict & Humanitarian Context

13.6% of women in humanitarian settings reported experiencing sexual violence in surveys synthesized in a 2021 review—pooled prevalence estimate used for humanitarian programming[30]
Single source
2In a global review of humanitarian GBV programming, 92% of implementing organizations reported using survivor-centered approaches—survey of agencies (2019)[31]
Verified
3In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a 2019 survey reported that 46% of women who experienced sexual violence attributed it to conflict-related actors—attribution share in primary survey findings[32]
Directional

Conflict & Humanitarian Context Interpretation

In conflict and humanitarian settings, the data show both the scale and the direction of risk, with 3.6% of women reporting sexual violence in synthesized 2021 survey findings, while 92% of GBV implementers say they use survivor-centered approaches and in the DRC 46% of affected women attribute the violence to conflict-related actors.

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

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APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Rape Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/rape-statistics
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Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Rape Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/rape-statistics.

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