UN Reveals Tragic Number of Domestic Violence Deaths in 2023

A new report has found that an average of 140 women and girls were killed globally by intimate partners or family members every day in 2023. This disturbing news may or may not be shocking to you, as domestic violence against women has become increasingly prevalent.

According to a report released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, approximately 51,100 women and girls were killed by either a partner or relative last year. UN Women and the UN Office of Drugs and Crime reported that this is an increase from the estimated 48,800 victims in 2022.

Additionally, about 60% of female homicides in 2023 were at the hands of those close to them.

“Women and girls everywhere continue to be affected by this extreme form of gender-based violence and no region is excluded,” UN Women and the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime stated. “The home is the most dangerous place for women and girls.”

While men and boys are quite often victims of homicide, women and girls are more likely to be targeted in their homes or by their own loved ones. 

“An estimated 80% of all homicide victims in 2023 were men while 20% were women, but lethal violence within the family takes a much higher toll on women than men, with almost 60% of all women who were intentionally killed in 2023 being victims of intimate partner/family member homicide,” the reported stated.

The specific details of these findings also varied depending on the country, with Europe and the Americas seeing the most violence against women committed by intimate partners. Meanwhile, women and girls were more likely to be killed by family members throughout the rest of the world. 

“This emphasizes the need to ensure that the prevention of domestic violence addresses intimate relationships as well as family contexts where women are at higher risk,” the report stated.