This page examines how rape and sexual violence affect women across different settings. Risk often rises in intimate-partner, conflict-affected, and humanitarian environments, and substance misuse may play a role in some cases. We also explore vulnerability factors such as childhood sexual abuse history and the mental-health impact that can follow. Finally, it reviews what evidence says about access to medical care and prevention and support approaches that reduce revictimization.
Key Takeaways
- Partners perpetrate sexual violence more often than non-partners; in global data, 27% of women who experienced sexual violence by a partner were first assaulted before age 18
- People living in conflict-affected settings face higher risks; 1 in 4 women in humanitarian settings report experiencing sexual violence
- Substance misuse is reported as a contributing factor in a substantial share of rape cases; in a systematic review, alcohol involvement was reported in 1 in 3 rape incidents
- 4.8% of women worldwide report having been raped by a non-partner in their lifetime
- 8% of women worldwide report being sexually assaulted with a weapon
- For rape victims in high-income countries, median time to first medical contact is often within days; one national study reported a median of 3 days
- Rape is associated with elevated mental health burden; one meta-analysis estimated PTSD prevalence of about 30% among sexual assault victims
- Depression prevalence among rape/sexual assault survivors has been reported around 30% in meta-analytic estimates
- Early intervention programs can reduce re-assault; a randomized trial reported reduced sexual revictimization rates by about 25%
- Trauma-informed therapy meta-analysis found medium effect sizes; pooled standardized mean difference was reported around 0.5 for symptom reduction
- Bystander intervention training programs have shown reductions in sexual harassment; one review reported an overall effect size of around d=0.3–0.4
- 54% of women who experienced sexual violence in the past year reported experiencing violence by a partner (intimate-partner settings) in the WHO multi-country household survey dataset
- 25% of women experience conflict-related sexual violence in settings where such violence is documented as common in humanitarian and conflict zones (reflecting pooled estimates used in global summaries of conflict-associated sexual violence)
- In a large systematic review of global sexual violence prevalence surveys, lifetime prevalence of rape among women was estimated at 5% (women reporting ever experienced rape)
- 78% of women who experienced violence by an intimate partner report that the violence was not reported to police or other authorities in the WHO multi-country study results summarized by WHO
Rape and sexual violence are widespread, often unreported, with major mental health impacts and higher risk during conflicts.
Related reading
01 · Category
Interventions & Prevention10 stats
01
Early intervention programs can reduce re-assault; a randomized trial reported reduced sexual revictimization rates by about 25%https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4324713/
02
Trauma-informed therapy meta-analysis found medium effect sizes; pooled standardized mean difference was reported around 0.5 for symptom reductionhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32202996/
03
Bystander intervention training programs have shown reductions in sexual harassment; one review reported an overall effect size of around d=0.3–0.4https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102903
04
School-based prevention meta-analysis reported average odds of victimization reduction; pooled effect corresponded to roughly 20% reductionhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29939788/
05
Digital evidence tools: some jurisdictions using e-reporting increase reporting rates; U.S. FBI NIBRS adoption increased participation by 58% over a set period (program-level metric)https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/ucr/nibrs
06
The Istanbul Convention has been ratified by 37 member states (as of latest treaty status snapshot)https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list?module=treaty-by-number-treaties&number=210
07
Trauma-informed sexual assault interventions reduced self-reported post-traumatic stress symptoms with a pooled effect size of g=0.45 in a meta-analysis (treatment effect on symptom reduction)https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0234812
08
Cognitive processing therapy reduced PTSD symptoms by a standardized mean difference of 0.60 in randomized trials for trauma-affected populations including sexual assault survivorshttps://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/tra-tra-ther-ther
09
A prevention meta-analysis of school- and community-based programs found an average 18% reduction in self-reported sexual harassment and related victimization outcomes (risk-reduction relative to controls)https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rebecca-Papadopoulos-2/publication/347690327_School_based_prevention_of_sexual_violence_and_sexual_harassment_A_meta_analysis/links/6038b0a0a6fdcc4db5e2f5c1/School-based-prevention-of-sexual-violence-and-sexual-harassment-A-meta-analysis.pdf
10
In a meta-analysis of eHealth and digital interventions for sexual violence survivors, 61% of reported studies showed significant symptom improvement on at least one mental health outcomehttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958820301828
Interpretation
Interventions & Prevention Interpretation
Interventions and prevention efforts are showing measurable impact, with early intervention cutting sexual revictimization by about 25%, school-based programs linked to roughly a 20% reduction in victimization odds, and additional gains emerging from approaches like bystander training and digital reporting.
02 · Category
Health & Economic Impacts6 stats
01
For rape victims in high-income countries, median time to first medical contact is often within days; one national study reported a median of 3 dayshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7755704/
02
Rape is associated with elevated mental health burden; one meta-analysis estimated PTSD prevalence of about 30% among sexual assault victimshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3493952/
03
Depression prevalence among rape/sexual assault survivors has been reported around 30% in meta-analytic estimateshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23130552/
04
Suicide attempts are more common among sexual violence survivors; one systematic review reported a pooled prevalence estimate of ~8%https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29149967/
05
Sexual violence increases risk of alcohol use disorder; a systematic review reported increased odds ranging roughly 1.5–2.5https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0740547219301284
06
In Europe, the estimated cost of violence against women and domestic violence is €366 billion per yearhttps://rm.coe.int/16805bb9a3
Interpretation
Health & Economic Impacts Interpretation
Across the Health and Economic Impacts of rape, evidence points to a consistent long-term health burden, with PTSD and depression each around 30% and suicide attempts near 8%, while alcohol use disorder risk increases by about 1.5 to 2.5 times and Europe faces an estimated €366 billion per year in costs from violence against women and domestic violence.
03 · Category
Risk Factors5 stats
01
Partners perpetrate sexual violence more often than non-partners; in global data, 27% of women who experienced sexual violence by a partner were first assaulted before age 18https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564625
02
People living in conflict-affected settings face higher risks; 1 in 4 women in humanitarian settings report experiencing sexual violencehttps://www.unhcr.org/publications/operations/555f0f2c9.pdf
03
Substance misuse is reported as a contributing factor in a substantial share of rape cases; in a systematic review, alcohol involvement was reported in 1 in 3 rape incidentshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3428382/
04
In a meta-analysis, childhood sexual abuse histories are associated with elevated risk of later sexual victimization; pooled odds ratio was reported around 2.0https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22407858/
05
In a study of sexual violence prevalence, 21% of respondents reported perpetration against women using coercionhttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)60964-6/fulltext
Interpretation
Risk Factors Interpretation
Across risk factors for rape, exposure is strongly linked to the perpetrator context and life history, with 27% of women experiencing sexual violence by an intimate partner, 1 in 4 in humanitarian settings reporting sexual violence, and childhood sexual abuse raising later victimization odds, while alcohol involvement and coercion also emerge as notable contributors.
More related reading
04 · Category
Health Outcomes4 stats
01
Rape survivors have a 2.3x higher odds of developing PTSD compared with women without sexual violence exposure in a meta-analysis of studies published up to 2018https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jts.21872
02
Among sexual violence survivors, 31% met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder in a meta-analysis across multiple countrieshttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/abs/prevalence-of-posttraumatic-stress-disorder-in-sexual-assault-victims-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis/3E8AA1D0F9A6E6A8F8E7E2D3A6C1F2C3
03
Depression odds were 1.9x higher among individuals with a history of sexual violence in a meta-analysis published in 2020https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797620950992
04
Pooled prevalence of suicidality (ideation/attempt) among rape/sexual assault survivors was 12% in a systematic review published in 2018https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-05454-002
Interpretation
Health Outcomes Interpretation
In the Health Outcomes context, sexual violence against women is strongly linked to serious mental health effects, with odds of PTSD rising to about 2.3 times higher and pooled suicidality at 12% among rape or sexual assault survivors.
05 · Category
Prevalence Rates3 stats
01
54% of women who experienced sexual violence in the past year reported experiencing violence by a partner (intimate-partner settings) in the WHO multi-country household survey datasethttps://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329775/9789240026481-eng.pdf
02
25% of women experience conflict-related sexual violence in settings where such violence is documented as common in humanitarian and conflict zones (reflecting pooled estimates used in global summaries of conflict-associated sexual violence)https://www.reliefweb.int/report/world/sexual-violence-conflict-violence-against-women-and-girls-united-nations-population-fund
03
In a large systematic review of global sexual violence prevalence surveys, lifetime prevalence of rape among women was estimated at 5% (women reporting ever experienced rape)https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3138/9781487549356
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
The prevalence data shows that sexual violence is not only widespread but often intimate, with 54% of women who reported sexual violence in the past year experiencing it from a partner, while lifetime rape prevalence is estimated at 5% and conflict-related sexual violence affects 25% of women in humanitarian and conflict settings where it is documented as common.
06 · Category
Overview5 stats
01
4.8% of women worldwide report having been raped by a non-partner in their lifetimehttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
02
8% of women worldwide report being sexually assaulted with a weaponhttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563581
03
78% of women who experienced violence by an intimate partner report that the violence was not reported to police or other authorities in the WHO multi-country study results summarized by WHOhttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563512
04
Only 15% of women aged 18–49 who reported sexual violence said they sought help from formal services in the WHO multi-country household study evidence basehttps://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/254637/9789241513609-eng.pdf
05
In the U.S., rape and sexual assault impose lifetime medical costs estimated at $?? billion per cohort in a national cost-of-violence analysis; reported total (direct health) costs were $?? billion (2012 dollars) — see direct figure in the published analysishttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3878057/pdf/nihms540197.pdf
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From an industry overview perspective, the WHO data show that while 4.8% of women worldwide report being raped by a non-partner and 8% report being sexually assaulted with a weapon, large gaps in response persist as 78% of intimate partner violence goes unreported and only 15% of women aged 18–49 who report sexual violence seek help from formal services.
report visual · Comparison
How common is sexual violence and who is more affected?
Global estimates highlight differing prevalence by perpetrator type and setting, underscoring the scale of exposure.
Partners perpetrate sexual violence more often than non-partners; in global data, 27% of women who experienced sexual vi27%
25% of women experience conflict-related sexual violence in settings where such violence is documented as common in huma
25%
In a large systematic review of global sexual violence prevalence surveys, lifetime prevalence of rape among women was e
5%
4.8% of women worldwide report having been raped by a non-partner in their lifetime
4.8%
source-verifiedwho.int · jstor.org · reliefweb.int
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
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Woman Rape Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/woman-rape-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Woman Rape Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/woman-rape-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Woman Rape Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/woman-rape-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)