A Global Burden of Disease (GBD) analysis published in The Lancet estimates that in 2023 more than 1 billion people aged 15 and older had experienced sexual violence during childhood, and about 608 million females aged 15 and older had ever been exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). The GBD, coordinated by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is the largest effort to measure health loss across locations and time.
The highest prevalence of both IPV and childhood sexual violence was concentrated in sub‑Saharan Africa and South Asia, regions where the health impacts of violence overlap with high burdens of HIV and other chronic conditions. In India, the study estimated IPV prevalence at 23% among women aged 15 and older; it also estimated that over 30% of women and about 13% of men aged 15 and above had experienced sexual violence as children.
The researchers linked sexual violence against children (SVAC) and IPV to a wider range of health outcomes than previously recognised, producing substantially higher levels of health loss and disability. IPV was associated with large burdens of anxiety and major depressive disorder, identified among the top causes of disability attributable to partner violence. Childhood sexual violence was associated with 14 health outcomes, spanning mental health and substance use disorders as well as chronic physical illnesses.
The study estimated that IPV was connected to roughly 145,000 deaths worldwide in 2023, primarily from homicide, suicide, and HIV/AIDS. Nearly 30,000 women were estimated to have been killed by intimate partners that year. Exposure to sexual violence in childhood was associated with about 290,000 deaths in 2023, most commonly from suicide, HIV/AIDS, and type 2 diabetes.
Patterns of disability also varied by sex and region. For men, self-harm and schizophrenia were leading causes of disability linked to childhood sexual violence; for women, anxiety was the leading cause—particularly pronounced in South Asia.
Lead author Luisa Sorio Flor of IHME said the findings challenge the tendency to treat SVAC and IPV primarily as social or criminal justice problems and emphasise that they are major public health priorities. The authors argue that preventing and responding to violence against women and children could save lives, reduce mental health burdens, and strengthen communities.
The research team recommended a range of preventive and supportive measures, including stronger legal protections, promotion of gender equality, and expanded services for survivors. These recommendations align with other global assessments: a World Health Organization report from November 2023 estimated that more than one in five Indian women aged 15–49 experienced IPV that year, with nearly 30% affected over their lifetime. WHO also notes that globally nearly one in three people—about 840 million—have experienced partner or sexual violence during their lifetime, a figure that has changed little since 2000.
Taken together, the GBD findings underscore that IPV and childhood sexual violence are widespread and have long-term, measurable health consequences. The authors call for integrated, sustained action across health, legal, and social systems to prevent violence and to provide comprehensive care for survivors.
