Globally, about 1 in 3 women have experienced sexual or physical violence in their lifetime, and roughly 840 million women worldwide have faced partner or sexual violence. In the United States, nearly 1 in 2 women have experienced some form of contact sexual violence during their lives, and more than 1 in 5 have experienced completed or attempted rape. Pinning down a single annual number is harder than it sounds, largely because most assaults are never reported to police.
Why a Single Annual Number Is Hard to Find
Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes. Only about 1 in 3 survivors report to law enforcement, which means police statistics capture a fraction of what actually happens. The FBI’s crime data, for instance, tracks only cases that reach a police report. Survey-based estimates from the CDC and other agencies attempt to fill the gap by asking people directly about their experiences, but these surveys typically measure lifetime prevalence rather than incidents in a single calendar year.
The result is two very different pictures. Law enforcement numbers are precise but far too low. Survey numbers are more realistic but usually express the problem as a lifetime rate rather than an annual count. Both are necessary to understand the scale.
What U.S. Data Shows
The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey provides some of the most comprehensive data available. It found that nearly half of all American women experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetimes, and more than 1 in 5 experienced completed or attempted rape. Based on these figures, more than 25 million U.S. adults have been raped at some point in their lives.
Worldwide, the WHO estimates that 6% of women have been sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner. When intimate partner sexual violence is included, nearly 27% of women aged 15 to 49 who have been in a relationship report physical or sexual violence from that partner.
FBI data from the most recent reporting period (December 2024 through November 2025) shows reported rapes declining by 18.2% compared to the prior year. That drop reflects what police recorded, not necessarily a real decrease in how often assaults occur. Changes in reporting behavior, law enforcement practices, and how jurisdictions classify crimes all influence these numbers.
Why Most Assaults Go Unreported
The reasons survivors stay silent are consistent across studies. In a survey covering 2005 to 2010, 20% of those who didn’t report feared retaliation. Thirteen percent believed police wouldn’t help, and another 13% considered it a personal matter. Eight percent felt it wasn’t important enough to report. Seven percent didn’t want the perpetrator to get in trouble. Only 2% said they thought police couldn’t do anything, while 30% cited other reasons or no specific reason at all.
These numbers mean that for every sexual assault that appears in crime statistics, roughly two more go uncounted. Any annual figure based solely on police reports dramatically underestimates reality.
Age Groups at Highest Risk
Sexual violence is not evenly distributed across age groups. More than half (54%) of all victims are between 18 and 34, and another 15% are between 12 and 17. Together, the 12-to-34 age range accounts for 69% of all sexual assault victims.
Young women face especially elevated risk. Women aged 16 to 19 are four times more likely than the general population to experience rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. Women aged 18 to 24 experience sexual violence at three times the rate of other age groups. College-age men are also at heightened risk: male students aged 18 to 24 are about five times more likely than non-students the same age to be victimized.
How Race and Ethnicity Shape Risk
Rates of sexual violence vary significantly by race and ethnicity. Data from the CDC’s national survey found that multiracial women had the highest lifetime rape prevalence at 32.3%, followed by Native American women at 27.5%. Black women experienced rape at a rate of 21.2%, and white women at 20.5%. When broader forms of sexual violence were included (not just rape), 64.1% of multiracial women and 55% of Native American women reported being victimized.
The CDC has also noted that more than 2 in 5 non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native women and non-Hispanic multiracial women have been raped in their lifetime. These disparities reflect overlapping factors including historical trauma, poverty, geographic isolation, and gaps in law enforcement coverage on tribal lands.
Who Commits Sexual Assault
The stereotype of a stranger attack in a dark alley accounts for a small minority of cases. Perpetrators are usually someone the victim knows: a current or former intimate partner, an acquaintance, a coworker, or a family member. This is one reason reporting rates are so low. When the person who harmed you is embedded in your social or family life, coming forward carries personal consequences that go far beyond a police report.
The Economic Cost
Sexual violence carries an enormous financial burden alongside its psychological toll. Research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine estimated the lifetime cost of rape at $122,461 per victim. Scaled across the more than 25 million American adults who have been raped, that translates to a population-level economic burden of nearly $3.1 trillion in 2014 dollars.
The largest share of that cost, about 52%, comes from lost work productivity among both victims and perpetrators (who may be incarcerated or otherwise unable to work). Medical costs account for 39%, or roughly $1.2 trillion. Criminal justice activities make up 8%, and government sources cover an estimated $1 trillion, about 32% of the total burden. These numbers reflect not just the immediate aftermath of an assault but years of healthcare needs, mental health treatment, and economic disruption that follow survivors through their lives.