Romania among EU countries with highest rates of violence against women in relationships, study shows

The phenomenon of violence against women perpetrated by their partners is more prevalent in Romania compared to other EU states, according to Eurostat data processed by Monitorul Social, a project of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Romania, or FES.

Almost half of the women in Romania (45.5%) have suffered psychological violence from their intimate partner, compared to the EU average of 29.9%, placing the country in 4th position, after Hungary, where 52.1% of women have suffered psychological violence from their intimate partner, Finland (50.2%), and Slovakia (48.9%).

“This is an alarming indicator regarding control, manipulation, insults, and frequent intimidation in relationships,” the FES study notes.

Moreover, a quarter of the women in Romania (25.4%) have suffered physical violence, including threats, from their intimate partner, a percentage twice as high as the EU average (10.7%).

When including all forms of severe violence (psychological, physical, and sexual) committed by the intimate partner, nearly 1 in 2 women in Romania who have ever had a partner (48.9%) report being affected, compared to 31.8% in the EU.

In terms of context, violence against women committed by their partners in Romania is more widespread among those with low education. Roughly 60.4% of women with low education (at most middle school graduates) stated they were victims of intimate partner violence, while 47.9% of those with medium education (high school or postsecondary) reported such experiences. Even among those with higher education, 35.8% stated they were victims of intimate partner violence.

At the European level, there is no observed difference in the frequency of gender-based violence in couples based on education level.

By residence, it is observed that intimate partner violence is more prevalent in rural areas and small towns. In Romania, half of the women from rural areas (50.3%) who have ever had a partner reported being victims of violence from that partner, ranking first in the EU, followed by Slovakia (where 48.2% of rural women experienced partner violence), Finland (48.0%), Hungary (47.9%), and Sweden (46.7%). The European average stands at 29.6%.

Among urban women, the percentage of those who have ever experienced partner violence is 46.2% in Romania, ranking 9th, with the EU average being 35.3%.

The Eurostat data comes from a survey conducted between 2021–2024, the results of which were published in November 2024. In Romania, data was collected by private firms under the coordination of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and the European Institute for Gender Equality, in accordance with the EU survey methodology on gender-based violence.