One in Three Women in the EU Faces Violence or Threats, Study Finds

A significant proportion of women in the European Union, approximately one in three (30.7%), has experienced physical violence, sexual violence, or threats at some point in their lives, according to a large-scale study conducted between 2020 and 2024. The research was carried out by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Eurostat, and the European Institute for Gender Equality, involving over 114,000 women aged 18 to 74. The findings reveal no notable improvement in reducing violence against women over the past decade, echoing similar data reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year.

The study found that only one in eight women who experienced violence reported it to the police. Around one in six women in the EU has been a victim of sexual violence, including rape. Additionally, one in five women has faced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by a partner, family member, or other household member. Sexual harassment in the workplace affects a third of women, with the highest prevalence reported in Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, and Luxembourg.

Regional disparities in violence were also highlighted. Finland (57.1%), Sweden (52.5%), and Hungary (49.1%) recorded the highest percentages of women experiencing gender-based violence. Hungary and Romania reported the highest levels of domestic violence, with 29% and 26.8% of women, respectively, feeling endangered in their own homes. On the other hand, the prevalence of harassment outside of intimate relationships was most pronounced in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, while Bulgaria, Poland, and the Czech Republic reported the lowest rates.

In Bulgaria, historically low reporting rates of violence have begun to change. A high-profile case involving Debora Mihaylova from Stara Zagora, who was brutally attacked and disfigured, triggered widespread public outrage and protests, ultimately leading to legislative reforms. Following these events, the Ministry of Interior noted a rise in reports of physical and psychological domestic violence.

Sirpa Rautio, director of the FRA, emphasized the scale of the problem, noting that among Europe’s 229 million women, a third have experienced violence, including being hit, beaten, kicked, or raped. She described the levels of violence as "truly staggering," underlining the need for more effective measures to address this pervasive issue.