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Nearly one in three women worldwide have experienced intimate partner or sexual violence, the WHO says.
Global progress has stalled, with intimate partner violence falling by just 0.2% annually over two decades.
Funding for prevention is shrinking, with only 0.2% of development aid supporting anti-violence programmes.
Oceania reports the highest past-year prevalence, while high-income countries record the lowest rates.
UN leaders warn the world is far off track to meet the 2030 target to end violence against women and girls.
Nearly one in three women worldwide have experienced intimate partner or sexual violence, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations partners. The study found that an estimated 840 million women globally have faced one or both forms of violence in their lifetimes, a figure that has barely changed in more than two decades.
The report, Violence against women prevalence estimates, 2023, analysed data from 168 countries between 2000 and 2023, shows that 316 million women — 11 per cent of those aged 15 or older — experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past year alone.
WHO warned that progress has been “painfully slow”, with the prevalence of intimate partner violence falling by just 0.2 per cent annually.
Launching the findings, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Violence against women is one of humanity’s oldest and most pervasive injustices, yet still one of the least acted upon. No society can call itself fair, safe or healthy while half its population lives in fear.”
Released ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, 2025, the report examines data from 168 countries between 2000 and 2023. It warns that progress in reducing intimate partner violence has been “painfully slow”, falling by just 0.2 per cent annually over two decades, while global crises such as conflict, climate-related disasters and rapid technological change worsen risks for millions.
Worryingly, investment in prevention is shrinking at the same time. In 2022, only 0.2 per cent of global development aid went to programmes addressing violence against women, with funding dropping even further in 2025.
Women and girls subjected to violence face wide-ranging health consequences, including unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and depression. Violence begins early: in the past year alone, 12.5 million girls aged 15-19 experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, the report stated. Older women also experience significant levels of abuse, though the report noted that data for women above 49 remain sparse.
The prevalence of intimate partner violence varies sharply across regions. Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) reports a past-year prevalence of 38 per cent — more than three times the global average.
At the national level, lifetime prevalence among ever-married or partnered women aged 15-49 reaches as high as 61 per cent in countries such as Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Sierra Leone. In 17 countries, between one-quarter and nearly half of women experienced such violence in just the past year. By contrast, 39 high-income and upper-middle-income countries reported past-year prevalence rates of 4 per cent or lower.
The report emphasised that all surveys underestimate the true scale of violence, since many women do not disclose abuse. Data gaps are especially severe for groups facing multiple forms of discrimination, including women with disabilities, indigenous women, migrants and those living in conflict or humanitarian settings. The authors also note major inconsistencies in how countries define and measure violence, further limiting comparability.
For the first time, the WHO has published globally comparable estimates of sexual violence perpetrated by someone other than a partner. It finds that 263 million women have experienced non-partner sexual violence since age 15, but stresses that this figure is significantly under-reported due to stigma and fear of retaliation.
Lifetime prevalence reaches between 25 per cent and 42 per cent in 11 countries, most of them high-income. Regionally, the highest levels were recorded in Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Northern America. But the report warns that wide variations in survey definitions — some include only rape or attempted rape, while others capture a broader range of acts — make comparisons difficult.
The combined lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence stands at 30.4 per cent among all women aged 15 and above, equivalent to 840 million women. This total still does not include other widespread forms of abuse such as femicide, trafficking, workplace harassment, coercive control or violence by family members outside intimate partnerships.
Launching the report, UN Women Executive Director Dr Sima Bahous in a statement said: "Ending violence against women and girls requires courage, commitment, and collective action. Advancing gender equality is how we build a more equal, safer world for everyone, where every woman and every girl can live a life free from violence.”
The data paint a grim picture of the toll of inaction, stated UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita said: "This must change now. We must act urgently together to end this violence and ensure that every woman and girl, in all her diversity, can exercise her rights, realize her potential and contribute fully to more just, equal and prosperous societies.”
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said: "The key is to break this pattern of violence against women and girls.”
WHO also warned that at current rates of progress, the world is far off track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 5.2, which calls for ending all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030.
The report urged governments to fund evidence-based prevention strategies, bolster survivor-centred health, legal and social services, and invest in high-quality, regular data collection. It also highlighted the need for political commitment, citing examples such as Cambodia’s national effort to strengthen domestic violence legislation and improve shelters and adolescent-focused prevention initiatives.
An updated edition of the RESPECT Women framework, a global guide for preventing violence against women, including in humanitarian settings, has been released alongside the report.