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One in three EU women face violence, most cases unreported, survey finds
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 3, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 3, 2026
Quick Summary
A new EU-wide survey finds that about 30.7% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence during their lifetime—slightly down from 33% in 2012—but reporting remains low, with only around 11%–14% of victims going to police, highlighting persistent underreporting and the so-called Nordic parad
Survey Finds Violence Affects One in Three EU Women, Most Cases Remain Unreported
Key Findings from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights Survey
By Charlotte Van Campenhout
BRUSSELS, March 3 (Reuters) - Physical and sexual violence affects roughly a third of women in the European Union during their lifetime, but most incidents go unreported, a survey revealed on Tuesday.
Reporting Rates and Barriers
The results of the survey, conducted by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Institute for Gender Equality, showed that only 11.3% of women reported physical or sexual abuse by non-partners to the police, and just 6.1% reported violence by intimate partners.
Reasons for Not Reporting
Common reasons for not reporting violence included shame, self-blame, fear, and distrust in law enforcement. Limited awareness or access to support services also emerged as contributing factors.
Prevalence and Types of Abuse
About 30.7% of women across the bloc said they had experienced violence, a slight decrease from the 33% recorded in the first such survey in 2012. The study also highlighted other widespread forms of abuse, including psychological, economic, and online abuse.
Expert Commentary
"Violence against women is a fundamental rights violation," FRA Director Sirpa Rautio said. "Member states have clear obligations to prevent violence, protect victims and ensure access to justice, and these findings show there is still urgent work to do."
'NORDIC PARADOX'
Regional Variations in Prevalence
Prevalence rates varied significantly, ranging from 57.1% in Finland to 11.9% in Bulgaria.
Nordic Countries and Reporting Dynamics
Finland's Nordic neighbours, known for high gender equality, also showed high levels of violence, with 52.5% of women in Sweden and 47.5% in Denmark experiencing violence, while lower-equality countries to the south show more complex reporting dynamics.
This disparity, termed the "Nordic paradox", could reflect actual variations in women's experiences or contrasting reporting behaviors and different perceptions of violence related to sexual encounters between countries, according to researchers.
FRA's first survey on violence against women in the EU in 2012 showed the same paradox.
Survey Methodology
The new study drew on interviews with nearly 115,000 women aged 18 to 74 carried out between September 2020 and March 2024.
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, edititng by Andrei Khalip)
Key Takeaways
- •Approximately one in three EU women (30.7%) report experiencing physical or sexual violence in adulthood—a marginal decrease since 2012’s 33%.(fra.europa.eu)
- •Reporting rates are extremely low: only around 11% of non-partner violence and about 14% overall are reported to police, with victims citing shame, fear, distrust, and limited access to support as barriers.(fra.europa.eu)
- •Violence prevalence varies widely across EU countries—from a high of 57.1% in Finland to as low as 11.9% in Bulgaria—reflecting both real differences and disparities in reporting behaviors, known as the “Nordic paradox.”(helsinkitimes.fi)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about One in three EU women face violence, most cases unreported, survey finds
1What percentage of EU women have experienced violence according to the survey?
About 30.7% of women across the European Union reported experiencing physical or sexual violence.
2Why do most incidents of violence against EU women go unreported?
Most cases go unreported due to shame, self-blame, fear, distrust in law enforcement, and limited awareness or access to support services.
3What is the 'Nordic paradox' mentioned in the survey findings?
The 'Nordic paradox' refers to the high rates of reported violence in Nordic countries, which usually rank high in gender equality.
4How does the reporting rate of violence differ between partner and non-partner cases?
Only 11.3% of non-partner violence cases and 6.1% of intimate partner violence cases were reported to the police.
5How many women participated in the survey and what was the age range?
Nearly 115,000 women aged 18 to 74 across the EU participated in the survey.