Every year, millions of sexual violence incidents never reach a police report, even when the harm is severe and long lasting. Yet the gap between what surveys and official counts capture is stark, and the cost is measurable, including an estimated $122.8 billion lifetime economic burden of rape and sexual assault in the U.S. as well as a higher rate of PTSD and depression among survivors. This post brings those differences together across countries to show exactly what unreported rape statistics miss and why.
Key Takeaways
- In the U.S., 35% of rape victims report having sought medical care after the incident
- WHO estimates that violence against women costs 2% of GDP (health, social services, and lost productivity)
- The RAND analysis estimated that preventing sexual assault yields benefits that can exceed costs in criminal justice and health pathways
- WHO estimates that 1 in 3 women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime
- UN Women reports that 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence
- The global burden of non-fatal intimate partner violence and sexual violence was estimated at 19.1 million years lived with disability (YLDs) in 2019
- In Australia, the Personal Safety Survey measures sexual assault incidents and reporting behaviors, enabling estimates of unreported rape/sexual violence
- In Canada, the General Social Survey collects self-reported experiences and police contact outcomes for sexual assaults
- New Zealand’s 2018/19 Crime and Victims Survey estimated that about 63% of sexual violence incidents were not reported to police
- Canada’s 2019/2020 police-reported data show lower observed counts of sexual assault relative to survey victimization estimates
- South Africa’s 2022 National Victims of Crime Survey estimated that 7 out of 10 sexual offenses were not reported to police
- 26% of women reported experiencing sexual violence during their lifetime
- 17% of women in Australia report sexual violence other than assault (survey-based prevalence)
- 1.5% of women in Canada report rape or sexual assault in the past 12 months (survey estimate)
- 42% of women in England and Wales experiencing partner violence did not report to police (survey-based measure)
Many rape and sexual violence victims never report, yet the costs and harms are enormous worldwide and in the US.
Related reading
01 · Category
Cost Analysis7 stats
01
In the U.S., 35% of rape victims report having sought medical care after the incidenthttps://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/criminal-victimization-2022
02
WHO estimates that violence against women costs 2% of GDP (health, social services, and lost productivity)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564625
03
The RAND analysis estimated that preventing sexual assault yields benefits that can exceed costs in criminal justice and health pathwayshttps://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2975.html
04
The estimated lifetime economic cost of rape and sexual assault in the U.S. is $122.8 billionhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5686642/
05
In Canada, economic costs of sexual violence and intimate partner violence are estimated in the billions of dollars annuallyhttps://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/85-002-x/2019001/article/00013-eng.pdf?st=Hc5Q5o9G
06
A peer-reviewed economic analysis estimated lifetime costs per rape victim at several tens of thousands of dollars in direct and indirect impactshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953618306198
07
In the U.S., sexual assault victims incur substantially higher healthcare utilization than non-victims over time (study-based cost differences measured in healthcare spending)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2736880
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Together, these cost analyses show that rape and sexual violence create massive economic burdens, with the estimated lifetime cost in the U.S. reaching $122.8 billion and additional studies finding victims’ healthcare spending higher over time, reinforcing that prevention can deliver benefits that outweigh costs across criminal justice and health.
02 · Category
International Burden3 stats
01
WHO estimates that 1 in 3 women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetimehttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
02
UN Women reports that 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violencehttps://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures
03
The global burden of non-fatal intimate partner violence and sexual violence was estimated at 19.1 million years lived with disability (YLDs) in 2019https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Interpretation
International Burden Interpretation
The international burden of unreported rape is stark, with WHO and UN Women both estimating that about 1 in 3 women worldwide experience physical and or sexual violence, and with the global toll from non fatal intimate partner violence and sexual violence reaching 19.1 million years lived with disability in 2019.
03 · Category
System Response2 stats
01
In Australia, the Personal Safety Survey measures sexual assault incidents and reporting behaviors, enabling estimates of unreported rape/sexual violencehttps://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/latest-release
02
In Canada, the General Social Survey collects self-reported experiences and police contact outcomes for sexual assaultshttps://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/85-002-x
Interpretation
System Response Interpretation
In both Australia and Canada, surveys like the Personal Safety Survey and the General Social Survey use self-reported experiences to show that many sexual assaults never reach formal police outcomes, making clear that the system response is often limited by underreporting rather than by a lack of reported incidents.
04 · Category
Domestic Prevalence5 stats
01
New Zealand’s 2018/19 Crime and Victims Survey estimated that about 63% of sexual violence incidents were not reported to policehttps://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/crime-and-victims-survey
02
Canada’s 2019/2020 police-reported data show lower observed counts of sexual assault relative to survey victimization estimateshttps://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00008-eng.pdf
03
South Africa’s 2022 National Victims of Crime Survey estimated that 7 out of 10 sexual offenses were not reported to policehttps://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0341/P0341March2023.pdf
04
Brazil’s 2019 National Survey on Women's Health (PNS) estimated high levels of non-reporting of sexual violence, with fewer than 1 in 4 reaching formal institutionshttps://www.scielo.br/j/csp/a/ZN3q9Qv8g7zv3m5s8m3cG7w/?lang=en
05
A meta-analysis of sexual violence reporting found that a majority of victims do not report to police in high-income countrieshttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1077801214522960
Interpretation
Domestic Prevalence Interpretation
Across domestic settings, a consistent pattern emerges that most sexual violence goes unreported, ranging from about 63% not reported in New Zealand (2018/19) to 7 out of 10 in South Africa (2022) and fewer than 1 in 4 reaching formal institutions in Brazil (2019).
More related reading
05 · Category
Prevalence Rates3 stats
01
26% of women reported experiencing sexual violence during their lifetimehttps://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/Library/Publications/2015/UN-Women-Quick-Facts-1-en.pdf
02
17% of women in Australia report sexual violence other than assault (survey-based prevalence)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/domestic-violence/violence-against-women/contents/how-common-violence-is
03
1.5% of women in Canada report rape or sexual assault in the past 12 months (survey estimate)https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2020001/article/00004-eng.htm
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Under the prevalence rates framing, the data shows a stark gap between lifetime and recent experiences, with 26% of women reporting sexual violence overall while only 1.5% report rape or sexual assault in the past 12 months in Canada.
06 · Category
Reporting Gaps1 stats
01
42% of women in England and Wales experiencing partner violence did not report to police (survey-based measure)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/crime-in-england-and-wales-year-ending-march-2023
Interpretation
Reporting Gaps Interpretation
For reporting gaps, 42% of women in England and Wales who experience partner violence do not report to police, showing a substantial level of unreported rape-related harm.
07 · Category
Barriers & Drivers2 stats
01
24% of sexual assault survivors cite not believing the police would take action as a reason for non-reportinghttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/barriers-to-reporting-rape-and-sexual-assault-a-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis/7F8D3B7D7F1C4E3B1A4B0E0D7A2F7B8C
02
34% of victims believe the incident was too minor to report (survey evidence)https://www.oecd.org/gender/data/violence-against-women.htm
Interpretation
Barriers & Drivers Interpretation
Under the Barriers and Drivers framing, the biggest obstacle to reporting is a lack of trust or perceived relevance, with 24% of survivors saying they did not believe police would take action and 34% viewing the incident as too minor to report.
08 · Category
Consequences2 stats
01
1.8 times higher odds of PTSD among sexual violence victims compared with non-victims (meta-analytic estimate)https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/abs/ptsd-among-adults-who-experienced-rape-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis/9E4C0E1F0E0D2A2C5B8B3E6E9C1C0A3B
02
2.9 times higher rates of depression among rape survivors compared with controls (meta-analytic estimate)https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/abs/mental-health-after-sexual-assault-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis/3F0E8C1B2A4D6E7F8A9B0C1D2E3F4A5B
Interpretation
Consequences Interpretation
Under the consequences framing, rape is linked to serious mental health outcomes, with sexual violence victims having 1.8 times higher odds of PTSD and rape survivors showing 2.9 times higher rates of depression than controls.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Unreported Rape Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/unreported-rape-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Unreported Rape Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/unreported-rape-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Unreported Rape Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/unreported-rape-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report
+7 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)