Stalking leaves a trail that shows up in real life. Victims lose an average of 11 workdays every year, yet only about 23% report to police immediately, even though stalking affects 7.5 million people in the US each year. The full dataset gets even sharper, including rising cyberstalking reports and a long list of mental and physical harms that often build before anyone files a report.
Key Takeaways
- 50% of stalking victims suffer from PTSD
- Stalking victims lose an average of 11 workdays per year
- 1 in 7 stalking victims become suicidal
- Victims experience an average of 100 incidents before reporting
- Only 25% of stalking cases result in arrest
- 50 states have anti-stalking laws, but enforcement varies
- 76% of stalking victims are stalked by someone they know
- 28% of stalking perpetrators are current or former intimate partners
- 87% of stalkers are men
- Approximately 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men in the United States have experienced stalking victimization during their lifetimes
- In a 12-month period, about 9% of women and 2% of men reported being stalked
- 13.8 million women and 6.9 million men in the U.S. have been stalked at some point in their lives
- 81% of stalking victims are women
- The majority of stalking victims are between 18-24 years old
- 60% of female stalking victims are stalked by intimate partners
Stalking can devastate lives, harming victims mentally, financially, and physically, with many cases escalating and few arrested.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consequences25 stats
01
50% of stalking victims suffer from PTSD
02
Stalking victims lose an average of 11 workdays per year
03
1 in 7 stalking victims become suicidal
04
30% of stalking victims seek mental health counseling
05
Stalking is linked to 50% of mass shooting incidents with female victims
06
37% of victims suffer depression
07
Stalking leads to 1.2 million injuries yearly
08
23% of victims lose jobs due to stalking
09
Victims average $500/week in losses
10
79% experience sleep disturbances
11
Stalking contributes to 20% of intimate partner homicides
12
Children of victims: 1/3 witness stalking
13
44% victims hypervigilant
14
Economic cost: $395 million/year US
15
11% victims hospitalized
16
Alcohol involved in 30% stalker behaviors
17
Family impact: 46% strained relationships
18
Long-term anxiety: 68% of victims
19
13% stalking cases escalate to assault
20
52% victims anxiety disorder post-stalking
21
15% victims relocate permanently
22
Stalking absenteeism: 24 days/year average
23
28% victims substance abuse increase
24
Homicide risk 2x higher with stalking
25
33% victims chronic health issues
Interpretation
Consequences Interpretation
Behind every cold statistic lies a human life unraveling, as the relentless terror of stalking systematically dismantles its victims' health, safety, and livelihood.
02 · Category
Legal24 stats
01
Victims experience an average of 100 incidents before reporting
02
Only 25% of stalking cases result in arrest
03
50 states have anti-stalking laws, but enforcement varies
04
Restraining orders are violated in 69% of stalking cases
05
Only 23% report to police immediately
06
Conviction rates for stalking: 33%
07
80% of stalking laws enacted post-1990
08
GPS tracking used in 20% of cases
09
Hotline calls: 20,000/year to NCVC
10
Federal stalking law convictions: 100+/year
11
60% of victims get protection orders
12
Police response time average 2 hours
13
Cyberstalking convictions up 25% yearly
14
40 states have felony stalking laws
15
Victim services reach 10% of cases
16
UK: 5,000 prosecutions/year
17
Australia: stalking in 10% DV cases
18
EU directive on stalking 2012 implemented in 80%
19
School interventions prevent 20% escalation
20
70% protection orders effective short-term
21
Cyber laws in 48 states
22
Training programs reduce police dismissal 50%
23
Canada: 12,000 stalking police reports/year
24
Awareness month calls up 40%
Interpretation
Legal Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of stalking paints a bleak picture where victims endure a hundred silent screams before a cry for help, and even then, the system's gears grind so slowly that justice often feels like a theoretical concept rather than a deliverable promise.
03 · Category
Perpetrators27 stats
01
76% of stalking victims are stalked by someone they know
02
28% of stalking perpetrators are current or former intimate partners
03
87% of stalkers are men
04
Many stalkers have a history of domestic violence
05
21% of stalking perpetrators have a prior criminal conviction
06
Stalkers often use multiple tactics, averaging 6 different behaviors
07
50% of perpetrators are ex-partners
08
34% of stalkers are acquaintances
09
Stalkers average age 32
10
62% of male stalkers target ex-partners
11
15% of stalkers are family members
12
40% of stalkers unemployed
13
Stalkers with personality disorders: 40%
14
70% of stalkers send unwanted gifts or letters
15
59% perpetrators have mental health issues
16
30% stalkers use technology surveillance
17
Female stalkers: 13-20%, target peers
18
25% stalkers threaten suicide
19
Corporate stalkers: 10% of cases
20
Repeat offenders: 35%
21
Stalkers monitor social media 85% of time
22
45% perpetrators have DV history
23
22% stalkers strangers
24
Youth stalkers: 20% under 21
25
35% use phone harassment
26
Stalker recidivism: 40% within 2 years
27
18% perpetrators coworkers
Interpretation
Perpetrators Interpretation
This chilling data paints a portrait of a crime where danger most often arrives with a familiar face, weaponizing intimacy, psychological instability, and relentless repetition until harassment is perfected to a grim predictability.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prevalence28 stats
01
Approximately 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men in the United States have experienced stalking victimization during their lifetimes
02
In a 12-month period, about 9% of women and 2% of men reported being stalked
03
13.8 million women and 6.9 million men in the U.S. have been stalked at some point in their lives
04
Stalking victimization affects 7.5 million people each year in the U.S.
05
1 in 10 adults will experience stalking in their lifetime
06
Cyberstalking affects 1 in 20 people annually
07
Cyberstalking reports increased 300% during COVID-19
08
In the UK, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced stalking
09
94% of cases where stalker murdered victim involved intimate partner
10
Lifetime stalking prevalence for women is 12.2%, for men 5.1%
11
16.2% of women and 5.2% of men stalked in past 12 months
12
Stalking occurs weekly for 1.5 million people in US
13
1 in 45 women and 1 in 150 men stalked yearly
14
Global estimate: 16% of women experience stalking
15
In Australia, 1 in 10 women stalked lifetime
16
College students: 13% women, 11% men stalked
17
27% of stalking starts online
18
12% of women stalked by celebrities/fans
19
In Canada, 1 in 10 women lifetime stalking
20
Europe: 3-23% women stalked
21
Teens: 25% girls, 13% boys cyberstalked
22
Workplace stalking: 6% of employees
23
Military women: 20% stalked
24
1 in 4 stalking victims are men in UK
25
India: 13% women report stalking
26
Japan: 10,000 stalking cases/year
27
Brazil: stalking in 20% violence against women
28
South Africa: 8% lifetime prevalence
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
Stalking is a shockingly common and deeply sinister epidemic, with statistics revealing that its shadow falls across millions of lives, proving it is not a rare obsession but a widespread, often lethal, form of terror.
05 · Category
Victims27 stats
01
81% of stalking victims are women
02
The majority of stalking victims are between 18-24 years old
03
60% of female stalking victims are stalked by intimate partners
04
College women are 3 times more likely to experience stalking than college men
05
30% of stalking victims are under the age of 18
06
LGBTQ+ individuals experience stalking at rates 2.5 times higher than heterosexuals
07
Native American women 2x more likely to be stalked
08
41% of stalking victims fear for their safety
09
Elderly victims: 10% of stalking cases
10
Disabled individuals 3x more likely to be stalked
11
48% of victims are white, 20% black
12
Transgender victims report stalking 2x higher
13
Rural women 1.5x more likely to be stalked
14
67% of victims change daily routines
15
Hispanic women stalking rate 8.1%
16
Asian women: 4.5% annual stalking
17
Male victims: 40% stalked by ex-partners
18
Student victims: 60% fear stalker
19
25% of victims physically assaulted
20
Pregnant women: higher stalking risk
21
Immigrants: 15% higher stalking reports
22
Black women US: 11.5% lifetime stalking
23
Veterans: 25% stalking victimization
24
Low-income victims: 2x reporting barrier
25
55% victims female students stalked online
26
20% victims children under parental stalkers
27
Elderly women: 5% stalked by caregivers
Interpretation
Victims Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim, unforgiving portrait of a crime that preys most ruthlessly on the young, the marginalized, and those simply trying to love, learn, or live their lives, revealing stalking not as a rare obsession but as a widespread tool of terror that disproportionately shatters the safety of women and vulnerable communities.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Stalking Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/stalking-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Stalking Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/stalking-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Stalking Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/stalking-statistics.
Sources & references
31 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level