UN Report highlights global rise in femicide rates

A 2024 global report released by UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveals that approximately 50,000 women and girls were killed by an intimate partner or family member in 2024. This accounts for a significant portion of the 83,000 intentional homicides recorded worldwide that year. On average, one woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member every ten minutes.

Africa recorded the highest number of femicides committed within the private sphere, with approximately 22,000 victims. In South Africa, research from the South African Medical Research Council indicated a rate of 5.5 intimate partner femicides per 100,000 women during 2020-2021, noting that 60% of murdered women were killed by partners.

In France, Ministry of the Interior data for 2025 shows 136 violent deaths within couples, including 111 women. Women accounted for 82% of these victims. The report noted that 445 attempted homicides within couples were recorded, representing 10% of all attempted homicides in the country.