Report ties development gains and falling acceptance of partner violence to lower abuse rates

PLOS Global Public Health has published a peer-reviewed study pointing to a broad decline in the social acceptance of intimate partner violence against women that can be linked to declining prevalence of such violence globally. Researchers analyzed data from more than 2.4 million people across 69 countries collected between 1999 and 2024. The study found acceptability declined among men in 89% of countries and among women in 94%, with the speed of attitude shifts associated with faster reductions in reported violence. Countries with stronger gains in education, health, and living standards saw faster declines in acceptance, even as the authors cautioned that the findings do not prove causation.