In total, 30,141 women were victims of gender-based violence in Spain in 2021, a 3.2% rise from 2020. The increase was most pronounced among those under 18, rising from 514 to 661, which is a 28.6% year over year jump.
These figures come from the National Statistics Institute in its Statistics on Domestic Violence and Gender-Related Violence for 2021, released recently. The report shows 38,715 victims of both forms of violence in that year, up 2.4% from 2020, including 35,359 women and 3,356 men.
victims
Of the 30,141 registered victims of gender-based violence where interim measures or protection orders were issued, nearly half were aged between 30 and 44, with the overall average age at 36.9 years. The data highlight a notable rise among younger victims, particularly girls under 18, who accounted for 28.6% of cases. The number of abused girls aged 14 to 18 rose from 514 in 2020 to 661 in 2021. The greatest decline occurred among women aged 75 and older, down 11.6%.
The victim rate stood at 1.4 per 1,000 women aged 14 and over, with the highest values in the 30 to 34 age group (3.4 victims) and 25 to 29 (3.3).
Two out of three victims, 63.3%, were born in Spain, a figure similar to the previous year. The victim rate per 1,000 women aged 14 and over was almost three times higher for those born abroad (3.1) than for those born in Spain (1.1), with the highest rates among victims from Africa and the Americas.
Communities most affected were Andalusia, with 6,720 cases, Valencia with 4,909, and Madrid with 3,624. The smallest numbers appeared in Ceuta and Melilla, as well as Navarra. The largest year-over-year increases occurred in Ceuta at 25.8% and La Rioja at 21.7%.
attackers
Thirty thousand and four hundred seven men filed a criminal complaint related to gender violence in cases with a protection order or interim injunction, marking a 3.1% year-over-year rise. The steepest increases were among victims under 18, up 70.8%, and those aged 18 to 19, up 15.7%.
Between 2020 and 2021, 72 children reported in 2020 rose to 123 in 2021. Reports for ages 18 to 19 rose from 453 to 524. Those aged 65 and older showed a decline.
The average age of perpetrators was 39.7, and almost half, 48.2, were aged 30 to 44. Nearly two out of three offenders were born in Spain, but the rate per 1,000 men aged 14 and over was higher for those born abroad, at 3.4, compared with 1.1 in Spain.
Relationship between victim and accused
Statistics show that in 23.3% of cases the victim was a spouse or ex-spouse, 45.2% involved a current or former partner, 30.6% involved girlfriends or ex-girlfriends, and 1% were in the process of separating.
In 73.8% of couples, both partners were aged 20 to 49; 53.5% were born in Spain; 10.5% were born in the Americas and 6.4% were born in Europe, with victims reporting ties to the Americas.
Criminal offenses and precautionary measures
INE recorded 36,362 criminal charges related to gender-based violence in 2021, an increase of 5.8% from the previous year. The most common charges were injuries (49.1%), crimes against moral integrity (21.2%), and threats (15.5%).
There were 93,028 precautionary measures issued, up 2.3% year over year, with 73.9% being criminal measures and 26.1% civil. The most common civil measures included maintenance regime (27%), detention regime (26.3%), and visitation regime (19.2%).
A total of 33,068 individuals were imprisoned, a 30% rise from 2020, and there were 4,263 acquittals, up 22.2%.
domestic violence
There were 8,240 victims of domestic violence with a protection order or precautionary measure, a 0.5% decrease from 2020. Among them, 61.4% were women and 38.6% were men.
A total of 5,288 people were reported, down 5.2% from the previous year, with 72.5% male and 27.5% female. In 334 cases, both the accused and the victim were reported.
Regarding relationship types, 33.6% of victims were parents, 34.8% were children, and 8.7% were siblings. The incidence of this violence affects all ages, though under-18 victims remain notably high at 31.6% of the total. The mean age of victims was 38.8. The female victim rate stood at 0.21 per 1,000 women and the male rate at 0.14 per 1,000 men, with the highest rates among those under 18, for both women and men. The number of male victims decreased by 4.8% compared to the previous year, while female victims fell by 6.2%. About 53% of those who reported were aged 30 to 49, and the mean age was 37.6 years.