Intimate partner violence is on the rise globally, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). The report, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, shows that nearly a quarter of adolescent girls who have been in a relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence by the time they turn 20 years old. 

“Intimate partner violence is starting alarmingly early for millions of young women around the world,” said Dr. Pascale Allotey, director of WHO’s sexual and reproductive health and research department. “Given that violence during these critical formative years can cause profound and lasting harms, it needs to be taken more seriously as a public health issue—with a focus on prevention and targeted support.”

Dr. Allotey added that partner violence can have devastating impacts on young people’s health, educational achievement, future relationships and lifelong prospects. From a health perspective, it heightens the likelihood of injuries, depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and many other physical and psychological conditions, Dr. Allotey said.

New data reflects broader social, economic and cultural factors that increase young women’s risks, according to WHO. Based on WHO’s estimates, the worst affected regions are Oceania at a rate of 47 percent and central sub-Saharan Africa at 40 percent. The lowest rates of intimate partner violence were found in central Europe at 10 percent and central Asia at 11 percent. 

Additionally, the report finds that intimate partner violence against adolescent girls is most common in lower-income countries and regions, particularly in places where there are fewer girls in secondary school, and where girls have weaker legal property ownership and inheritance rights compared to men. 

Child marriage, defined as marriage before the age of 18, significantly escalates risks, since spousal age differences create power imbalances, economic dependency and social isolation, according to WHO. All these factors increase the likelihood of enduring abuse, according to WHO.

As a result of the new data, WHO urges more efforts to strengthen support services and early prevention measures tailored for adolescents, alongside actions to advance women’s and girls’ agency and rights—from school-based programs that educate both boys and girls on healthy relationships and violence prevention, to legal protections and economic empowerment. WHO added that many adolescents lack their own financial resources, and they can face particular challenges in leaving abusive relationships.

“The study shows that to end gender-based violence, countries need to have policies and programs in place that increase equality for women and girls,” said study author Dr. Lynnmarie Sardinha, technical officer for Violence Against Women Data and Measurement at WHO. “This means ensuring secondary education for all girls, securing gender-equal property rights, and ending harmful practices such as child marriage, which are often underpinned by the same inequitable gender norms that perpetuate violence against women and girls.”

WHO noted there is no country on track to eliminate violence against women and girls by the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal target date. New WHO guidelines on the prevention of child marriage are planned for release by the end of 2024.