In 2024, a staggering 50,000 women and girls were tragically killed by their partners or family members, resulting in one death every 10 minutes. This concerning data was disclosed on November 24 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women, emphasizing that despite extensive global commitments, the numbers have not improved.
To commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the 2025 femicide report from the UNODC and UN Women reiterated the grim truth that femicide continues to claim the lives of tens of thousands of women and girls globally, showing no significant advancement.
Just last year, a disturbing 83,000 women and girls were intentionally murdered, with a shocking 60% – totaling 50,000 individuals – falling victim to their intimate partners or family members.
This translates to nearly one woman or girl being killed by a partner or family member every 10 minutes, amounting to an average of 137 deaths daily. In stark contrast, only 11% of male homicides were perpetrated by intimate partners or family members.
“Femicides do not occur in isolation. They often exist on a spectrum of violence that can commence with controlling behavior, threats, and harassment – even online,” stated Sarah Hendriks, Director of UN Women’s Policy Division. “The United Nations’ 16 Days campaign this year emphasizes that digital violence frequently extends beyond the online realm.
“It can escalate offline and, in the worst scenarios, lead to fatal consequences, including femicide. Every woman and girl deserves safety in all aspects of her life, necessitating early intervention systems. To prevent these tragedies, we must enact laws that acknowledge how violence manifests across women’s and girls’ lives, both online and offline, and hold perpetrators accountable well before it becomes deadly.
The 2025 femicide report underscores that women and girls worldwide are targets of this extreme violence. John Brandolino, acting Executive Director of UNODC, added: “The home continues to be a perilous and sometimes deadly place for numerous women and girls globally.
“The 2025 femicide brief serves as a stark reminder of the imperative for enhanced prevention strategies and criminal justice responses to femicide, considering the circumstances that foster this severe form of violence.”
The highest rate of femicide by an intimate partner or family member is reportedly in Africa (3 per 100,000 women and girls), followed by the Americas (1.5), Oceania (1.4), Asia (0.7), and Europe (0.5).
While femicides also occur beyond the household, there is insufficient comprehensive data on these occurrences. To tackle this, UN Women and UNODC are working with nations to implement the 2022 statistical framework.
This initiative aims to enhance the identification, documentation, and categorization of gender-related killings of women and girls. Improving data availability is crucial for accurately assessing the extent and consequences of these femicides, supporting effective responses, and seeking justice.