Men and women in Germany experience psychological and physical violence in relationships at nearly the same rates, but significant gender differences appear when it comes to sexual violence, as well as the severity and frequency of the acts. These findings come from a comprehensive dark-figure study presented on Tuesday and jointly conducted by the Family Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and the Federal Criminal Police Office.
According to the results, 23.8% of women and 23.3% of men experienced psychological violence in current or former relationships within the past five years. Over the course of a lifetime, 48.7% of women and 40.0% of men reported such experiences, which included emotional, controlling, and economic forms of abuse.
For physical violence, 6.1% of men and 5.2% of women reported incidents within the five-year period. Over a lifetime, 18.0% of women and 14.0% of men had been affected. However, the study states that women “show a significantly higher incidence and severity of violence” in both categories, meaning the number of violent acts and the intensity of the assaults are notably higher for women. They also report “more fear” in these situations than men.
A different picture emerges with sexual violence: 36.3% of women and 16.3% of men experienced sexual harassment without physical contact in the previous five years. Over a lifetime, 23.5% of men and 56.7% of women reported such harassment, both within and outside relationships. Sexual harassment involving physical contact has been experienced by 40.8% of women and 12.3% of men. Here, too, both the severity and frequency of assaults weigh more heavily on women.
The often-repeated statement “a high number of unreported cases is assumed” frequently accompanies statistics and limits their clarity. For this reason, the dark-figure study was designed as a counterpart to the “light-figure” data, which only reflect incidents officially reported to authorities.
“We are shining a flashlight into the darkness,” said Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) about the new study. It also shows that many women and men experience partner violence without ever reporting it. According to the findings, the actual reporting rate is “well below 5%.” Prien said that women and girls in particular appear to face a high barrier when it comes to seeking help from police or law enforcement.
The last comprehensive, representative victim survey commissioned by the Family Ministry dates back to 2004 and included only women. This time, 15,479 people aged 16 to 85, both men and women, were surveyed between July 2023 and January 2025. The data was collected by the research institute Verian. The study is titled “LeSuBiA”, “Living Situation, Safety, and Burden in Everyday Life.”
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