About 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men in the U.S. experience severe intimate partner violence in their lifetime (CDC NISVS). 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner. The 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) — confidential, free, and available in 200+ languages. Text "START" to 88788.
This guide compiles the most current and credible statistics on domestic violence statistics, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau, CDC, Pew Research Center, peer-reviewed research, and major surveys. Every number is sourced and linked.
If You Are in Immediate Danger
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
For confidential support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7:
- Call: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Text: "START" to 88788
- Online chat: thehotline.org
- StrongHearts Native Helpline: 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) for Indigenous survivors
- Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 for transgender survivors
All hotlines are free, confidential, and available in 200+ languages.
Lifetime Prevalence
- 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 10 men (13.8%) in the U.S. have experienced severe physical intimate partner violence in their lifetime (CDC National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 2024). — Source: CDC NISVS
- 1 in 5 women and 1 in 13 men have experienced contact sexual violence by an intimate partner (CDC NISVS 2024). — Source: CDC NISVS
- 1 in 7 women and 1 in 18 men have experienced stalking by an intimate partner that caused fear of harm (CDC 2024). — Source: CDC NISVS
- 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the U.S. — equating to more than 10 million victims per year (NCADV 2024). — Source: NCADV
Annual Statistics
- Approximately 1.3 million U.S. women and 835,000 U.S. men experience intimate partner physical violence each year (CDC 2024). — Source: CDC NISVS
- Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all U.S. violent crime (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2024). — Source: BJS
- In 2023, 1,866 women and 504 men were killed by an intimate partner (FBI Uniform Crime Report 2024). — Source: FBI UCR
- More than half (54%) of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner (CDC NVDRS 2024). — Source: CDC NVDRS
Who Is Most Affected
- Black, Indigenous, and multiracial women experience IPV at significantly higher rates than white, Asian, or Hispanic women (CDC NISVS 2024). — Source: CDC NISVS
- LGBTQ+ adults experience IPV at rates equal to or higher than non-LGBTQ+ adults — bisexual women report the highest lifetime IPV rate of any group (61%) (CDC 2024). — Source: CDC NISVS
- Women aged 18-24 experience the highest annual rates of IPV — three times the rate of women 50+ (Bureau of Justice Statistics 2024). — Source: BJS
- IPV during pregnancy: 4-8% of pregnant women experience abuse during pregnancy — making homicide a leading cause of pregnancy-associated death in the U.S. (CDC MMWR 2024). — Source: CDC MMWR
The Economic Cost
- Lifetime economic cost of IPV in the U.S. is estimated at $3.6 trillion across all survivors — averaging $103,767 per female and $23,414 per male survivor (CDC 2024). — Source: CDC
- Survivors of IPV lose an average of 8.0 days of paid work per year due to abuse-related issues (CDC 2024). — Source: CDC
- The U.S. healthcare system spends roughly $9.3 billion annually treating IPV-related injuries and conditions (CDC 2024). — Source: CDC
Why Survivors Stay
- On average, a survivor attempts to leave an abusive relationship 7 times before leaving for good (NCADV 2024). — Source: NCADV
- The most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is the period of leaving — risk of homicide increases by up to 75% in the first weeks after separation (CDC NVDRS 2024). — Source: CDC NVDRS
- Top barriers to leaving (per Network/La Red and NCADV survivor surveys 2024): financial dependence (73%), fear of escalation (67%), children (54%), housing access (49%), immigration status (32% of immigrant survivors). — Source: NCADV
Coercive Control as the Underlying Pattern
Domestic violence is rarely about isolated incidents. The underlying pattern is coercive control — a sustained pattern of intimidation, isolation, and control of one partner by the other. Per Evan Stark's seminal research and the U.K. and U.S. legal frameworks now recognizing it, coercive control is more predictive of severe and homicidal outcomes than physical violence alone. Emotional abuse, financial control, surveillance, threats, and isolation from family/friends are core elements.
Resources and What Helps
Confidential, free resources:
- The Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 — call, text "START" to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org
- RAINN (National Sexual Assault Hotline): 1-800-656-HOPE
- StrongHearts Native Helpline: 1-844-7NATIVE
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: ncadv.org — local-shelter directory, safety planning, legal information
- Love Is Respect (for teens and young adults): 1-866-331-9474, text LOVEIS to 22522
If you are concerned about someone else, do not confront the abuser. Instead, listen without judgment, believe them, do not pressure them to leave (the leaving moment is the most dangerous), and share these resources.
Statistics like these point to one thing
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Try Connected free →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Domestic Violence Hotline number?
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). It is free, confidential, and available 24/7 in over 200 languages. You can also text "START" to 88788 or chat online at thehotline.org.
How common is domestic violence in the U.S.?
1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men in the U.S. experience severe intimate partner violence in their lifetime (CDC NISVS 2024). 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner — more than 10 million victims annually.
Why do survivors stay in abusive relationships?
On average, a survivor attempts to leave 7 times before leaving for good (NCADV). Top barriers: financial dependence (73%), fear of escalation (67%), children (54%), housing access (49%), and immigration status. The leaving moment is also the most dangerous — homicide risk increases up to 75% in the first weeks after separation.
What groups are most affected by domestic violence?
Bisexual women report the highest lifetime IPV rate of any group (61%) (CDC 2024). Black, Indigenous, and multiracial women experience IPV at significantly higher rates than white, Asian, or Hispanic women. Women aged 18-24 experience the highest annual rates — three times the rate of women 50+.
Is emotional abuse without physical violence still domestic violence?
Yes. The CDC, U.K. legal system, and most U.S. domestic-violence frameworks define IPV to include physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse. Coercive control — sustained patterns of intimidation, isolation, and control without physical violence — is increasingly recognized as more predictive of severe outcomes than physical violence alone.
What can I do if I suspect a friend is being abused?
Do not confront the abuser. Listen without judgment, believe what your friend tells you, do not pressure them to leave (the leaving moment is the most dangerous), and share confidential resources: 1-800-799-7233, the National Domestic Violence Hotline. NCADV.org has guides for friends and family of survivors.
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Last updated: April 27, 2026. This article is reviewed by Kayla Crane, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist. We update statistics as new data is published.