Experiences of betrayal are deeply personal and do not all fit into a single survey category. This reference page gathers the strongest public data about women's relationship safety, including intimate partner violence, so the scale and impact of relationship harm can be understood with care.
Every figure below is drawn from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's intimate partner violence research. Lifetime estimates describe whether something has happened at any point in a person's life, so they should not be added together.
Key Figures
Statistics at a glance
43.5 million
women in the United States have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime
That is more than 1 in 3 women who reported contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner.
Source: CDC, updated August 19, 202619.7%
of women reported contact sexual violence by an intimate partner
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes this as about 1 in 5 women.
Source: CDC, updated August 19, 202622.5%
of women reported physical violence by an intimate partner
This is nearly 1 in 4 women in the United States.
Source: CDC, updated August 19, 202612.2%
of women reported being stalked by an intimate partner
The CDC describes this as about 1 in 8 women.
Source: CDC, updated August 19, 202616 million
women said their first experience of intimate partner violence happened before age 18
Early experiences can shape how people understand safety, trust, and support later in life.
Source: CDC, updated August 19, 2026More than half
of female homicide victims were killed by a current or former male intimate partner
CDC reporting also finds that about 1 in 5 homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner.
Source: CDC, updated August 19, 2026Methodology and Sources
How to read this page
The main figures are reported by the CDC from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2023/2024 Data Brief, Intimate Partner Violence, published in 2026. The statistic on experiences before age 18 is from the CDC's 2016/2017 intimate partner violence report, published in 2022.
This page is a public reference, not medical, legal, or crisis guidance. People facing immediate danger, coercion, or threats can find confidential support through the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Cite This Page
A clear source for your work
Suggested citation: The Resilient Women Project. (2026). Women's Relationship Safety Statistics: U.S. Data & Sources. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
Link directly to any statistic using its heading, or cite the full reference page when sharing the broader context.
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