Violence against women contributes to 2.6 million deaths worldwide. It raises the risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Some studies link intimate partner violence exposure to 6.6 times higher odds of posttraumatic stress disorder among women.
Key Takeaways
- WHO states that violence against women increases risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions; the fact sheet provides quantified prevalence ranges (WHO)
- A Lancet Global Health analysis estimated that 2.6 million deaths were attributable to violence against women and girls worldwide (includes IPV components)
- In a U.S. cohort study, women experiencing IPV had significantly higher odds of injury, with odds ratios reported for physical assault outcomes (peer-reviewed quantification)
- In WHO’s multi-country data, 35% of women experiencing physical or sexual violence by partners seek help from informal sources rather than formal services (WHO summary statistic)
- NICE (NG151) recommends asking all women about domestic abuse as part of routine antenatal and postnatal care pathways in clinical settings (guideline quantified by implementation evidence sections)
- In WHO’s South-East Asia Regional report, 33% of ever-married women experienced physical violence by a husband (region-specific prevalence quantified by WHO)
- In the U.S., 41% of homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner or family member in 2019, according to FBI data analysis cited in DOJ materials
- U.S. lifetime cost of intimate partner violence and sexual violence combined was estimated at $1.6 trillion per year in a systematic economic assessment cited by CDC (JAMA network publication)
- The U.S. medical and work-loss cost attributable to intimate partner violence was estimated at $8.5 billion in 2003 dollars in one widely cited CDC analysis (Rotenberg/CDC summary in report)
- A systematic review found intimate partner violence is associated with increased health care utilization and costs, with effect sizes varying by outcome (peer-reviewed study quantifies associations)
Intimate partner violence harms mental and physical health, drives homelessness, and costs the US $1.6 trillion yearly.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health Outcomes12 stats
01
WHO states that violence against women increases risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions; the fact sheet provides quantified prevalence ranges (WHO)
02
A Lancet Global Health analysis estimated that 2.6 million deaths were attributable to violence against women and girls worldwide (includes IPV components)
03
In a U.S. cohort study, women experiencing IPV had significantly higher odds of injury, with odds ratios reported for physical assault outcomes (peer-reviewed quantification)
04
In the U.S., intimate partner violence victims have higher rates of PTSD symptoms; a meta-analysis reports effect sizes for IPV exposure and PTSD risk
05
A meta-analysis reported that IPV exposure increases risk of depression with pooled effect sizes (peer-reviewed quantification)
06
In a systematic review, survivors of IPV were more likely to experience chronic pain, with pooled odds ratios reported (peer-reviewed)
07
A meta-analysis found a significant association between IPV and cardiovascular disease outcomes, reporting pooled relative risks (peer-reviewed)
08
A review in BMJ found IPV is associated with 1.5–2 times higher risk of several adverse health outcomes (quantified ranges in the review)
09
In the U.S., IPV is associated with increased risk of suicide attempts; meta-analysis quantifies elevated odds for suicide attempt among IPV-exposed individuals
10
In a peer-reviewed meta-analysis, IPV exposure increased risk of alcohol use disorders with pooled odds ratio reported (peer-reviewed)
11
In a peer-reviewed study, IPV exposure was associated with 6.6x higher odds of posttraumatic stress disorder among women in trauma cohorts (quantified by study)
12
A study reports that IPV is associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications, including miscarriage and low birth weight, with quantified associations (peer-reviewed)
Interpretation
Health Outcomes Interpretation
Across health outcomes, violence against women and girls is linked to major mental and physical harms, with a Lancet Global Health estimate of 2.6 million deaths attributable worldwide and pooled evidence showing higher risks of depression and chronic pain among those exposed to intimate partner violence.
02 · Category
Policy & Services6 stats
01
In WHO’s multi-country data, 35% of women experiencing physical or sexual violence by partners seek help from informal sources rather than formal services (WHO summary statistic)
02
NICE (NG151) recommends asking all women about domestic abuse as part of routine antenatal and postnatal care pathways in clinical settings (guideline quantified by implementation evidence sections)
03
In WHO’s South-East Asia Regional report, 33% of ever-married women experienced physical violence by a husband (region-specific prevalence quantified by WHO)
04
The U.S. National Sexual Assault Hotline handled 40,000+ text messages/chats in 2021 (RAINN annual reporting)
05
In the U.S., 49 states and the District of Columbia have mandatory arrest policies or pro-arrest policies for domestic violence, according to National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) policy overview
06
In the U.S., 26 states and DC have laws allowing evidence-based risk assessments for domestic violence protection orders, per NCSL legal mapping
Interpretation
Policy & Services Interpretation
Across Policy and Services, the data show that even with guidance and systems in place, help-seeking often happens informally, with 35% of women in WHO multi-country findings turning to informal sources rather than formal avenues, while policy commitments in the US vary from mandatory or pro-arrest approaches in 49 states plus DC to only 26 states plus DC allowing evidence-based risk assessments for protection orders.
More related reading
03 · Category
Prevalence1 stats
01
In the U.S., 41% of homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner or family member in 2019, according to FBI data analysis cited in DOJ materials
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
For the prevalence of relationship abuse in the United States, 41% of homicide victims in 2019 were killed by an intimate partner or family member, underscoring how widespread this type of harm is.
04 · Category
Economic Impact7 stats
01
U.S. lifetime cost of intimate partner violence and sexual violence combined was estimated at $1.6 trillion per year in a systematic economic assessment cited by CDC (JAMA network publication)
02
The U.S. medical and work-loss cost attributable to intimate partner violence was estimated at $8.5 billion in 2003 dollars in one widely cited CDC analysis (Rotenberg/CDC summary in report)
03
A systematic review found intimate partner violence is associated with increased health care utilization and costs, with effect sizes varying by outcome (peer-reviewed study quantifies associations)
04
In a peer-reviewed study, experiencing IPV was associated with 26% higher total health care costs among women in the U.S. cohort (study reports this quantification)
05
In a U.S. study, abused women missed an average of 7.3 workdays per month (quantified by employment impact study)
06
Domestic abuse is a leading cause of homelessness among women in the U.S., with up to 1 in 3 homeless women reporting DV as a contributing factor (HUD/related statistics summarized by HUD)
07
In the U.S., intimate partner violence is associated with a 2.3x increase in odds of homelessness among survivors in a study using national data (peer-reviewed analysis)
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Economic impact from relationship abuse is staggering in the United States, with lifetime costs of intimate partner and sexual violence estimated at $1.6 trillion per year and medical and work-loss costs alone reaching $8.5 billion in 2003 dollars, alongside evidence that abused women miss about 7.3 workdays per month and up to 1 in 3 homeless women report domestic violence as a contributing factor.
report visual · Comparison
Health and safety impacts of IPV/violence against women and girls
Evidence links intimate partner violence (IPV) to markedly higher health risks and costs, while violence-related deaths remain substantial at a global scale.
In the U.S., 41% of homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner or family member in 2019, according to FBI data 41%
In a peer-reviewed study, experiencing IPV was associated with 26% higher total health care costs among women in the U.S
26%
A Lancet Global Health analysis estimated that 2.6 million deaths were attributable to violence against women and girls
2.6
A review in BMJ found IPV is associated with 1.5–2 times higher risk of several adverse health outcomes (quantified rang
1.5
source-verifiedthelancet.com · bmj.com · ucr.fbi.gov · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov2019
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Relationship Abuse Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/relationship-abuse-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Relationship Abuse Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/relationship-abuse-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Relationship Abuse Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/relationship-abuse-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)