In Spain, the scale of violence against women remains staggering. According to recent data, nearly one in three women over the age of 16 has experienced aggression from a partner or former partner at least once in their lives. That amounts to more than 6.4 million women who have faced physical, sexual, psychological, or economic abuse. Notably, 17.2% of victims continue to live with the person who demeans or assaults them.
Of particular concern is the fact that 12.7% of women have suffered physical or sexual violence in a relationship. In absolute numbers, that’s about 2.6 million Spanish women. In most cases, the abuse lasted for years: nearly 40% endured mistreatment for more than five years. Households where violence occurs often include children — between 1.1 and 1.8 million minors live in an atmosphere of fear and threats.
Violence outside the family
The problem isn’t confined to the home. Around 14.5% of women in the country have faced sexual violence outside of relationships — more than three million victims. Half of them experienced this before the age of 15. With the rise of technology, cases of digital harassment are increasingly reported: 12.2% of women have suffered online abuse, and among women under 24, this figure exceeds one third.
Young people are particularly vulnerable: nearly 28% of girls aged 16–17 and more than 34% of women aged 18–24 have faced cyberbullying or online harassment. These figures show that the problem is not going away, but instead is taking on new forms.
Psychological and economic abuse
Almost all cases of physical or sexual violence are accompanied by psychological and economic abuse. 95.6% of women who experienced beating or rape also faced humiliation, threats, control, or restrictions on their freedom. Economic violence is another common form: 11.7% of women in Spain have reported that a partner restricted their access to money, forbade them to work or study, took out loans in their name, or refused to pay child support.
If non-payment of child support is included, the share of women who have experienced economic abuse rises to 13.5%. More than 4.9 million Spanish women have faced such restrictions, with another 800,000 becoming victims in recent years. Among mothers, 11% said that a former partner had failed to pay child support at least once.
Consequences and seeking help
Psychological trauma is a common experience among victims. 73.5% of women who suffered abuse reported deteriorating mental health, and almost half reported physical injuries. 43% continue to suffer the consequences even years later. Across all women in the country, 7.5% still feel the impact of violence. Women with disabilities are especially vulnerable: 16.4% developed their disability as a direct result of family abuse.
Despite the scale of the problem, only 16.8% of women decide to contact the police or go to court. Most choose to confide in relatives or seek help from specialized support services. 41.4% of victims have used such organizations for assistance.
Risk to life and mental health
Violence destroys not only the body but also the mind. Women who have experienced aggression are 11 times more likely to contemplate suicide than those who have not. 18.4% of victims admit they have had suicidal thoughts, while 5.7% have attempted it. Even years after breaking away from their abuser, 6.4% continue to struggle with such thoughts.
The problem is compounded by the fact that many women begin to visit doctors more frequently, take antidepressants, and abuse alcohol or tobacco. All of this is a direct consequence of the violence they endured.
Sexual violence outside relationships
Sexual violence outside the family is a separate and acute issue. More than three million women in Spain have faced such violence, with half experiencing it in childhood. In 10% of cases, the attack was committed by a group. Forms of violence include rape (3.1%), attempted rape (3.2%), and other types of harassment (12.7%).
In 98.3% of cases, the aggressor was someone the victim knew—most often a friend, acquaintance, or relative. Most attacks took place in private homes, less frequently on the street or during holidays. However, only a small fraction of women report what happened—less than 10% of rapes and attempts become known to the police. The main reasons for silence are fear, a sense of guilt, mistrust of the system, and the age of the victims.
The Ministry of Equality (Ministerio de Igualdad) in Spain is responsible for developing and implementing measures to combat violence against women. The agency is headed by Ana Redondo, who has repeatedly emphasized the importance of strengthening protection for victims and raising public awareness. The country operates a dedicated support service for victims, as well as educational programs aimed at preventing violence. The ministry regularly conducts large-scale studies to track trends and develop effective response measures.
