Research and reference
A plain-language collection of current U.S. statistics on intimate partner violence, dating violence, and relationship harm. Each figure is linked to its original public source.
Last updated August 18, 2026
A note on language
Major U.S. public-health sources use the term intimate partner violence. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression by a current or former spouse or dating partner. Terms such as emotional abuse, coercive control, and relationship abuse are often used in everyday conversation, but source definitions are not always identical.
These figures are here for readers, writers, educators, and advocates who need a reliable starting point. They are not a test of whether a relationship was harmful enough to deserve care and support.
Read about emotional manipulation →Key statistics
43.5 million
That is more than 1 in 3 women who have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 202620.7 million
The CDC reports that more than 1 in 6 men have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026Nearly 1 in 3
The CDC includes physical injury, missing work or school, safety concerns, medical care needs, and filing a police report among the impacts measured.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 202616 million women and 11 million men
Early experiences matter because relationship harm can begin in adolescence and shape how someone understands safety, boundaries, and support.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026About 1 in 12
About 1 in 10 experienced sexual dating violence. The CDC notes that female and LGBTQ students face higher rates of both forms.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 202534%
For male murder victims that year, the comparable share was about 6 percent.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 20222.2 per 1,000
This Bureau of Justice Statistics measure covers violent victimizations by current or former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2024How to read these figures
Lifetime surveys describe whether someone has ever experienced a form of intimate partner violence. Annual crime-survey rates describe reported experiences within a particular year. Neither should be compared as though they measure the same thing.
Survey dates and publication dates are shown in the source links. The CDC's current summary draws on its 2023/2024 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey data brief. The Bureau of Justice Statistics figures on this page draw on 2021 homicide data and the 2023 National Crime Victimization Survey.
Methodology and sources
CDC, About Intimate Partner Violence, updated February 11, 2026. This page summarizes the CDC's 2023/2024 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey data brief.
CDC, Teen Dating Violence, updated January 14, 2025.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Female Murder Victims and Victim-Offender Relationship, 2021, published December 1, 2022.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Criminal Victimization, 2023, published September 2024.
Suggested citation: Fullwood, Andre D. “Relationship Abuse Statistics in the United States.” Updated August 18, 2026. https://authorandrefullwood.com/relationship-abuse-statistics
Support matters
The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers confidential support and safety-planning resources for people affected by relationship abuse.