A recent, large-scale European study once again shows that violence against women is a major social problem. One in three women in the European Union has experienced physical or sexual violence in her lifetime.

As a knowledge institute on gender equality in the Netherlands, Atria interprets the latest scientific data on the extent of gender-based violence in Europe and the Netherlands. Senior researcher Paula Thijs places these European and Dutch figures in context and, where possible, makes a comparison with figures from ten years ago (2014).

Gender-based violence is violence that affects someone because of their sex or gender. Although violence affects people of all genders, not everyone experiences violence to the same extent. The degree and impact of violence can vary based on gender of the victim and perpetrator, their relationship and the type of violence.

Research shows that women are more likely than men to be victims of sexual violence, domestic violence and violence by a (former) partner. Because the perpetrator is more often an acquaintance, it can be difficult for victims to talk about their experiences and seek help or report them to the police. Therefore, women’s experiences of violence do not show up as well in official statistics such as police records. By anonymously asking women themselves about their experiences of violence, especially sexual violence, domestic violence and (ex-)partner violence, we get a better picture of women’s experiences of gender-based violence.

New European data

On Nov. 25, 2024, EIGE (European Institute for Gender Equality), FRA (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights) and Eurostat published new data on violence against women in the 27 member states of the European Union. The data were collected from 114.023 women between the ages of 18 and 74 in the EU between 2020 and 2024. The last time such data were collected and published was in 2014. That was the first time a large-scale, comparative study was conducted on the scale of violence faced by women and girls in Europe.

The new data show that:

• 1 in 3 women in the EU has experienced physical or sexual violence in her lifetime
• 1 in 8 women has experienced sexual violence, including rape, by someone other than a (former) partner
• 1 in 5 women has experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner, neighbour or roommate
• 1 in 3 women experienced sexually transgressive behaviour at work; this applies to 2 in 5 young women
• just over 1 in 8 women who experienced violence reported it to the police

In 2025, Eurostat, FRA and EIGE will publish a comprehensive research report on gender-based violence in Europe and its consequences.

Violence against women in the Netherlands

What about violence against women in the Netherlands? In the Netherlands, 4184 women participated in the European survey. This gives a representative picture of the experiences of women in the Dutch population aged 18 to 74.

Some striking results for the Netherlands:

• 41% of all women experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives. For 7%, the violence was structural.
• 1 in 3 women has experienced sexual violence in her life.
• Almost 1 in 6 women in the Netherlands has experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or ex-partner.
• 1 in 3 women has experienced psychological violence by an intimate partner or ex-partner.
• 1 in 5 women has experienced physical and/or sexual domestic violence in her life.
• Over a quarter of women experienced sexual violence by someone other than a (former) partner since the age of 15.
• 1 in 14 women in the Netherlands has been raped by a non-partner since the age of 15.
• 1 in 5 women has ever experienced stalking.
• Over 40% of women in the Netherlands have experienced sexual harassment at work in their lifetime.

Where possible, Atria makes a comparison with the situation in 2014 and with recent data from the Prevalence Monitor on Domestic Violence and Sexual Transgression 2024.

Violence against women is common in the Netherlands. 41% of the women interviewed for the European study have experienced some form of violence in their lives. This includes a sum of physical violence or threats and sexual violence, regardless of the severity of the incident and the type of perpetrator. This is higher than the EU average: of all women in the 28 EU countries, 30.7% experienced physical and/or sexual violence.

3.7% of women in the Netherlands experienced physical and/or sexual violence in the past year. For 7%, the violence was structural, meaning it occurred repeatedly over a period of time.

Compared to 2014, the percentage of women who have ever experienced violence in 2024 is slightly lower: in 2014, 45% of Dutch women interviewed said they had ever experienced physical or sexual violence. We cannot determine with certainty whether this is a slight decrease in violence or whether it is due to differences in the group of women interviewed.

The data from the recently published Prevalence Monitor differ from the European picture. Data from the Prevalence Monitor show that 24% of women aged 16 or older have ever been victims of domestic violence and/or sexually transgressive behaviour (compared to 12% of men). That the results are higher in the European study could be due to several reasons, including differences in the method of data collection, differences in the sample, or differences in the questions and definitions.

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