Experts warn about rising domestic violence in Germany

Intimate partner violence is the most common form of abuse. Results from a systematic review of 366 studies across more than 160 countries show that globally, 27% of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence—or both—from a current or former partner at some point in their lives.

In Germany, recent figures show that at least one in three women has experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, and nearly one in four women has experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner.

Economic power inequalities among women—such as unequal job distribution and gender disparities in wages and wealth—are typically considered risk factors for violence against women. However, this relationship has not been thoroughly explored theoretically or empirically, and the evidence remains unclear.

Recent reports indicate that domestic violence in Germany has never been this high.

The German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag, citing the latest data from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), reported that the number of domestic violence victims in Germany reached a new record in 2024. Approximately 257,000 cases were recorded, the highest number ever.

Compared to the previous year, this represents an increase of around 3.7%, although experts warn that the number of unreported cases is likely much higher, as many crimes in private settings typically go unreported.

In 2023, official statistics showed that the number of women murdered in Germany was about three times higher than the previous year—meaning that, on average, nearly one woman is killed every day, and in most cases, the perpetrator is a current or former partner.