Domestic Abuse Costs Women in the U.S. $4.9 Billion Every Year

“More than 39 million women—nearly one-third of the US female population—have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner, from slapping to beating,” the study says.

Based on estimates of intimate partner violence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers determined that 70 percent of that $4.9 billion comes from medical costs, 15 percent comes from loss of productivity, and the other 15 percent comes from lost earnings over a woman’s lifetime.

They also uncovered another horrific fact: Rates of violence against women increase as their household income decreases. Researchers found that, in recent history, more than 95 percent of violent incidents against women happened in households with incomes of less than $75,000. Not only that, rates of violence in lowest income households are nearly 15 times higher than in those with the highest incomes.

Sign up for Women’s Health’s new newsletter, So This Happened, to get the day’s trending stories and health studies.

Money isn’t the only factor: A woman is at an eight times higher risk of being killed by her partner in a household that has a gun, and is 20 times more likely to be abused when there is a history of domestic violence.

RELATED: The Terrifying Truth About Domestic Violence

Age also plays a role: Nearly 70 percent of initial violent incidents happen to women between the ages of 11 and 24.

Domestic Abuse Costs Women in the U.S. $4.9 Billion Every Year