Gitnux/Report 2026

Spousal Abuse Statistics

Intimate partner abuse is not just a personal crisis it is a measurable economic and health burden, from global estimates that it accounts for 3.1% of deaths among women aged 15 to 49 and 1.8 million years lived with disability worldwide to the U.S. pattern that victims face higher healthcare costs and elevated odds of depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance use. You will also see how the impact ripples outward, including how exposure in childhood can raise later perpetration risk and why 39% of domestic abuse victims in England and Wales say the abuse affected their children’s wellbeing.
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May 15, 2026Updated
Spousal Abuse Statistics
Nathan CaldwellWritten by Nathan Caldwell·Edited by Gabrielle Fontaine·Fact-checked by Nikolas Papadopoulos
Published ·Updated
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Intimate partner violence is linked to measurable health and social harm, not just personal trauma, with global estimates placing it at 3.1% of deaths among women aged 15 to 49 in GBD 2019. Even when you look at cost, the scale jumps quickly, like in Sweden where domestic violence-related costs were estimated at SEK 4.2 billion in 2014. This post brings together findings across countries and studies, from fear and reporting patterns to depression, PTSD, homelessness, and impacts on children.

Key Takeaways

  • In Australia, domestic violence costs to the economy were estimated at AUD 22 billion in 2002–2003 (Australian government/commissions cited in ABS/AIHW resources)
  • Globally, WHO estimates that violence against women results in medical and mental health costs of around 2% of GDP (WHO violence against women cost framing)
  • In Sweden, domestic violence-related costs were estimated at SEK 4.2 billion in 2014 (Swedish government report on costs)
  • In England and Wales, 39% of domestic abuse victims reported that the abuse had an effect on their children’s wellbeing (ONS bulletin)
  • In the U.S., intimate partner violence is associated with a 2.3x higher likelihood of depression in survivors (systematic review/meta-analysis)
  • A meta-analysis finds that intimate partner violence survivors have increased odds of PTSD (pooled OR ~2.7) (peer-reviewed)
  • In a large U.S. study, men who report perpetrating intimate partner violence are 2.1x more likely to have used alcohol in the context of violence (peer-reviewed study summary)
  • Alcohol misuse is associated with about a 2x higher risk of intimate partner violence in a meta-analysis (peer-reviewed)
  • A meta-analysis finds that substance use disorders are associated with intimate partner violence with pooled odds ratio around 2.2 (peer-reviewed)
  • 8% of women worldwide reported that they experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the last 12 months (2018 global estimate, Gallup/WHO/UNFPA methodology used in UN Women fact sheet)
  • Approximately 16.6% of adults in England and Wales reported experiencing domestic abuse in the previous year, as measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) domestic abuse module (year ending March 2022 estimate)
  • 56% of individuals who reported domestic abuse to a police service in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023 were victims of abuse by a partner or ex-partner
  • A median of 1.7 years elapsed between the first instance of violence and the first time victims reported to police in a cross-national study of service access and reporting patterns (multi-country study median)
  • In the U.S., 33% of victims of intimate partner violence reported receiving no help from any organization (National Crime Victimization Survey-based estimate)
  • In the U.S., victims of intimate partner violence incur healthcare costs that are higher by about $2,000 per year compared with non-victims (longitudinal/claims-based analyses; per-person healthcare cost differential)

Intimate partner violence costs economies and harms survivors and children, with alcohol and past violence increasing risk.

Related reading

01 · Category

Economic & Healthcare Costs3 stats

01
In Australia, domestic violence costs to the economy were estimated at AUD 22 billion in 2002–2003 (Australian government/commissions cited in ABS/AIHW resources)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/domestic-violence/domestic-violence-and-family-violence/contents/summary
02
Globally, WHO estimates that violence against women results in medical and mental health costs of around 2% of GDP (WHO violence against women cost framing)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241548595
03
In Sweden, domestic violence-related costs were estimated at SEK 4.2 billion in 2014 (Swedish government report on costs)https://www.government.se/government-agency/loftr/
Interpretation

Economic & Healthcare Costs Interpretation

Economic and healthcare impacts from spousal abuse are substantial across countries, with Australia estimating AUD 22 billion in 2002–2003 and WHO placing global medical and mental health costs at about 2% of GDP, while Sweden reported SEK 4.2 billion in 2014.

02 · Category

Psychological & Social Impacts15 stats

01
In England and Wales, 39% of domestic abuse victims reported that the abuse had an effect on their children’s wellbeing (ONS bulletin)https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/domesticabusevictimcharacteristics/englandandwales/yearendingmarch2023
02
In the U.S., intimate partner violence is associated with a 2.3x higher likelihood of depression in survivors (systematic review/meta-analysis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26841729/
03
A meta-analysis finds that intimate partner violence survivors have increased odds of PTSD (pooled OR ~2.7) (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20374710/
04
In a systematic review, intimate partner violence is associated with a ~2x higher risk of depression (peer-reviewed meta-analysis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17050793/
05
In the U.S., victims of intimate partner violence have 1.8 times higher odds of being diagnosed with anxiety disorders (peer-reviewed cohort study)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23358014/
06
Intimate partner violence is associated with 2.0x higher odds of substance use disorders in a meta-analysis (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24589007/
07
In the U.S., 50% of children exposed to domestic violence experience at least one mental health problem (systematic review)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16283660/
08
In children exposed to intimate partner violence, about 20% show internalizing problems (meta-analysis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15677879/
09
Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of child maltreatment; a meta-analysis estimates a pooled correlation around r=0.15 (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20351112/
10
In the U.S., intimate partner violence victims are about 1.5 times as likely to experience homelessness (peer-reviewed analysis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22215588/
11
A systematic review reports that intimate partner violence is associated with a 2-fold increase in risk of adverse birth outcomes (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24902749/
12
Intimate partner violence is associated with increased risk of miscarriage; a meta-analysis reports pooled OR around 1.4 (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21337956/
13
In Australia, 29% of women who experienced violence by partner reported fear for their safety as a reason for not leaving (ABS Personal Safety Survey)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/latest-release
14
A systematic review found intimate partner violence is associated with a 2.3-fold increase in risk of severe injuries (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26092955/
15
In 2021, the Global Burden of Disease estimated intimate partner violence caused 1.8 million years lived with disability (YLDs) globally (IHME GBD findings)https://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool
Interpretation

Psychological & Social Impacts Interpretation

Across the psychological and social impacts of spousal abuse, the evidence consistently shows a strong mental health ripple effect with intimate partner violence linked to about a 2 to 3 times higher risk of depression and PTSD and even 50% of children exposed to domestic violence experiencing at least one mental health problem.

03 · Category

Risk Factors & Perpetrator Patterns5 stats

01
In a large U.S. study, men who report perpetrating intimate partner violence are 2.1x more likely to have used alcohol in the context of violence (peer-reviewed study summary)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3493639/
02
Alcohol misuse is associated with about a 2x higher risk of intimate partner violence in a meta-analysis (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20451355/
03
A meta-analysis finds that substance use disorders are associated with intimate partner violence with pooled odds ratio around 2.2 (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25092553/
04
Intergenerational transmission: in a longitudinal study, individuals who witnessed parental violence are 2.0x as likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25236256/
05
A meta-analysis reports that prior history of violence increases risk of intimate partner violence perpetration (pooled OR ~3 in selected studies) (peer-reviewed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21266054/
Interpretation

Risk Factors & Perpetrator Patterns Interpretation

Across Risk Factors and Perpetrator Patterns, the evidence consistently points to a strong substance and violence-history link, with alcohol-related risk around 2 times and substance use disorders showing an odds ratio near 2.2, while prior exposure to violence or witnessing parental abuse roughly doubles to triples the likelihood of perpetration, reaching about 3 times in studies that assess previous violence.

04 · Category

Prevalence3 stats

01
8% of women worldwide reported that they experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the last 12 months (2018 global estimate, Gallup/WHO/UNFPA methodology used in UN Women fact sheet)https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures
02
Approximately 16.6% of adults in England and Wales reported experiencing domestic abuse in the previous year, as measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) domestic abuse module (year ending March 2022 estimate)https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/abusewomenaged16to74englandandwalesvictimisationbytype
03
56% of individuals who reported domestic abuse to a police service in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023 were victims of abuse by a partner or ex-partnerhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables
Interpretation

Prevalence Interpretation

For the prevalence of spousal abuse, the data show that intimate-partner violence affects a significant share of people globally and locally, with 8% of women reporting physical and/or sexual violence in the last 12 months and about 16.6% of adults in England and Wales experiencing domestic abuse in the previous year, while among those who report to police in England and Wales, 56% are victims of partner or ex-partner abuse.

More related reading

05 · Category

Help Seeking2 stats

01
A median of 1.7 years elapsed between the first instance of violence and the first time victims reported to police in a cross-national study of service access and reporting patterns (multi-country study median)https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/27574303
02
In the U.S., 33% of victims of intimate partner violence reported receiving no help from any organization (National Crime Victimization Survey-based estimate)https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv10.pdf
Interpretation

Help Seeking Interpretation

Under the help-seeking lens, the data suggest a substantial delay and gap: victims took a median of 1.7 years to report to police after violence began, and in the U.S. 33% received no help from any organization at all.

06 · Category

Economic Impact1 stats

01
In the U.S., victims of intimate partner violence incur healthcare costs that are higher by about $2,000per year compared with non-victims (longitudinal/claims-based analyses; per-person healthcare cost differential)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4611630/
Interpretation

Economic Impact Interpretation

In the U.S., spousal abuse drives a measurable economic burden through healthcare expenses, with victims facing about $2,000 more per year in healthcare costs than non-victims, underscoring the economic impact of intimate partner violence.

07 · Category

Health Outcomes1 stats

01
Intimate partner violence causes 3.1% of all deaths among women aged 15–49 globally in GBD 2019 (attribution estimate)https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Interpretation

Health Outcomes Interpretation

Globally, intimate partner violence is responsible for 3.1% of all deaths among women aged 15–49 in GBD 2019, underscoring its substantial and measurable impact as a health outcome.
Reference

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APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Spousal Abuse Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/spousal-abuse-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Spousal Abuse Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/spousal-abuse-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Spousal Abuse Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/spousal-abuse-statistics.

Sources & references

30 datasets cited across this report

aihw.gov.auwho.intgovernment.seons.gov.ukncbi.nlm.nih.govpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govabs.gov.aughdx.healthdata.orgunwomen.orggov.ukjstor.orgbjs.ojp.govvizhub.healthdata.org

+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)