This country profile presents the administrative data collected in Greece during the 2023–2024 data collection exercise with the support of national data providers and national researchers.
The list of 13 indicators developed by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) for the purposes of this data collection exercise is presented in Annex 1.
The data collected in other countries and the methodological report are published in EIGE’s Gender Statistics Database.
Key findings of EIGE’s 2023–2024 data collection exercise
The figure below outlines the main findings from EIGE’s most recent administrative data collection exercise on intimate partner violence and domestic violence in Greece.
FIGURE 1Main findings
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Victims of domestic violence
- In 2022, 74 % of victims of domestic violence recorded by police were women (10,356 out of 13,910).
- Psychological violence is the most common form of domestic violence reported to police (based on 2022 data).
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Femicide
- In 2022, women represented 93 % of people killed by intimate partners (13 out of 14), and 67 % of people killed by domestic perpetrators (24 out of 36).
- In the same year, women represented 38 % of overall homicide victims (45 out of 117).
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Rape
- In 2022, 91 % of rape victims recorded by police were women (303 out of 334).
- Women also represented 97 % of victims of rape by domestic perpetrators during that year (84 out of 87).
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Perpetrators of domestic violence
- Over ten thousand perpetrators were reported for domestic violence in 2022.
- In the same year, far fewer perpetrators were prosecuted (3,409), sentenced (1,823), and held in prison (111) for their crimes.
Domestic violence
EIGE defines domestic violence as ‘all acts of physical, sexual, psychological or economic violence that occur within the family or domestic unit, irrespective of biological or legal family ties, or between former or current spouses or partners, whether or not the perpetrator shares or has shared the same residence as the victim’.
In Greece, Article 3 of Law 4531/2018, which ratifies the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), adopts the same definition of domestic violence.
Domestic violence is also criminalised under Law 3500/2006. The law defines domestic violence as ‘the commission of a criminal act, at the expense of a family member or at the expense of a person who accepts services of a social care provider in which the perpetrator works’. The law protects victims from several offences of domestic violence listed in the text (Articles 6, 7, 8 and 9) as well as other offences outlined in the Criminal Code (Articles 299, 311, 336 and 338).
The data on domestic violence collected in this factsheet refers to violence between family members, intimate partners, and current and former civil partners.
Victims of domestic violence
According to the latest data, women represent most domestic violence victims in Greece (74 %). In 2022, police recorded 10,356 women victims of domestic violence.
Figure 2 Annual number of female and total victims of domestic violence (Indicator 1), 2014–2022
Between 2020 and 2022, the annual number of women victims of domestic violence recorded by police increased significantly (from 4,310 to 10,356). This increase may be attributed to several factors, including improvements in data collection systems and processes for identifying victims, the heightened visibility of gender-based violence during the pandemic (which led to increased police sensitivity and reporting), and the establishment of specialised departments by the police to combat domestic violence.
The police data recorded in Greece sheds light on the extent to which women suffer from domestic violence. Findings of the EU survey on gender-based violence (EU-GBV survey) also show that 25 % of women in Greece have experienced physical violence (including threats) or sexual violence by a domestic perpetrator during adulthood.
Incidents of specific forms of domestic violence
As part of EIGE’s 2023-2024 data collection exercise, national data providers in Greece shared data on the annual number of incidents of domestic violence recorded by police which involved physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence (Indicators 4-7).
Figure 3 Annual number of incidents of domestic violence involving physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence (Indicators 4-7), 2021-2022
Police record a greater number of incidents of physical domestic violence than of sexual domestic violence annually. Similarly, findings from the EU-GBV survey suggest that physical violence is more than twice as common among women. While 18 % of women in Greece say they have experienced physical domestic violence (including threats) during adulthood, 7.3 % report experiencing sexual domestic violence during adulthood.
Femicide: Number of women killed
EIGE defines femicide as ‘killing of women and girls because of their gender’. It is the most severe manifestation of gender-based violence. EIGE’s femicide classification framework distinguishes between killings committed by intimate partners and family members, and other forms of femicide, which are less common.
There is no legal definition of femicide in Greece. However, data is available on women victims of intentional homicide committed by intimate partners, domestic perpetrators, and any perpetrator.
Women are disproportionately affected by intimate partner homicide and domestic homicide
In 2022, women represented 93 % of victims of homicide committed by intimate partners (13 out of 14). In the same year, women also comprised 67 % of victims of homicide by domestic perpetrators (24 out of 36).
Conversely, in 2022, women represented only 38 % of victims of homicide by any perpetrator (45 out of 117).
Figure 4 Proportion of female victims of intimate partner homicide, domestic homicide, and homicide in any relationship (Indicator 9), 2022
Number of women victims of homicide
In 2022, 45 women victims of homicide were recorded by police. In the same year, the police recorded 24 women victims of domestic homicide, and 13 women victims of intimate partner homicide.
Figure 5 Annual number of female victims of intimate partner homicide, domestic homicide, and homicide in any relationship (Indicator 9), 2020–2022
Most femicide victims experience non-lethal forms of gender-based violence before they are killed. Femicide is often the culmination of a pattern of abuse.
According to the EU-GBV survey, women victims of intimate partner violence experience significant consequences to their mental and physical wellbeing. However, only 14 % women victims of intimate partner violence report to police. For these reasons, authorities should raise awareness on the ‘warning sings’ of femicide and enhance access to support services for victims.
Rape: Number of women victims
EIGE defines rape as ‘sexual penetration, whether vaginal, anal or oral, through the use of object or body parts, without consent, using force, coercion or by taking advantage of the vulnerability of the victim’.
In Greece, rape is criminalised under Article 336 of the Criminal Code (Law 4619/2019). It outlines punishments for persons who use physical violence or threats to force a victim to commit or tolerate a sexual act or commit sexual acts without consent.
Women are the main victims that suffer from rape
Almost all victims of rape in Greece are women. In 2022, women represented 97 % of victims of rape committed by domestic perpetrators (84 out of 87). During the same year, women comprised 91 % of victims of rape by any perpetrator (303 out of 334).
Figure 6 Proportion of female victims of domestic rape, and rape in any relationship (Indicator 8), 2022
Number of women victims of rape
In 2022, 303 women victims of rape were recorded by the police. In the same year, the police recorded 84 women victims of rape that were harmed specifically by domestic perpetrators.
Figure 7 Annual number of female victims of intimate partner rape, domestic rape and rape in any relationship (indicator 8), 2014–2022
Perpetrators of domestic violence
A perpetrator is defined as a ‘person brought into formal contact with the police and suspected/arrested or cautioned for a criminal offence of violence’.
Perpetrators reported
In 2022, over ten thousand people were reported to police for domestic violence. The includes both male and female perpetrators against both male and female victims.
Between 2020 and 2022, the annual number of perpetrators reported for domestic violence increased significantly (from 4,694 in 2020 to 10,396 in 2022). This increase may be attributed to several factors, including improvements in data collection systems and processes for identifying perpetrators, the heightened visibility of gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the establishment of specialised departments by the police to combat domestic violence.
Figure 8 Annual number of total perpetrators reported for domestic violence against total victims (Indicator 3), 2014–2022
Perpetrators prosecuted, sentenced, and held in prison
In 2022, far fewer perpetrators were prosecuted (3,409), sentenced (1,823), and held in prison (111) for their crimes.
Figure 9 Annual number of total perpetrators prosecuted, sentenced, and held in prison for domestic violence against total victims (Indicators 11-13), 2016-2022
Summary of data availability and next steps
Findings from EIGE’s 2023-2024 data collection exercise in Greece underscore the persistent threat of domestic violence to the safety and well-being of women and girls.
The collection of robust administrative data on intimate partner violence and domestic violence is essential to ensure effective policymaking, resource allocation, and the development of targeted interventions to support victims and prevent further violence.
EIGE’s research shows that, in Greece, intimate partner violence is conceptualised as a form of domestic violence. For this reason, no data is available on the annual number of female or total victims of intimate partner violence, or on offences of intimate partner violence. Data on violence between spouses and partners is hidden under domestic violence statistics, making it difficult to accurately assess the prevalence of this specific form of violence at the national level.
In Greece, sex disaggregated data is available on victims of violence by a domestic perpetrator. EIGE managed to collect data on the annual number of female and total victims of domestic violence recorded by police. EIGE has also retrieved data on incidents of domestic violence recorded by police which involved physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence.
Although a legal definition of femicide does not exist in Greece, data is available on the annual number of female victims of intentional homicide committed by intimate partners, domestic perpetrators, and any perpetrator.
Regarding rape, data is available on female victims of rape by domestic perpetrators (2020-2022), and any perpetrator (2014-2022). However, no data is available on female victims of rape committed by intimate partners.
EIGE cannot assess the extent to which protective measures are utilised to support victims of intimate partner violence and domestic violence. In Greece, no data on protection orders (applied or granted) for victims of violence was retrieved.
Data was shared on perpetrators of domestic violence that were reported to police, prosecuted, sentenced and held in prison. However, the figures are not disaggregated by sex of the victim or the perpetrator, making it challenging to explore the extent to which men are brought to justice for violence against women.
In May 2024, the EU adopted Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence. Article 44 establishes that Member States must work with EIGE to collect administrative data on these forms of violence and must adhere to common standards. EIGE remains committed to supporting Member States in their efforts to collect comprehensive, reliable data on violence against women and domestic violence.
Further details on the data collected during EIGE’s 2023–2024 data collection exercise are available in EIGE’s Gender Statistics Database and on its website.
Annexes
Annex 1: List of EIGE’s 13 indicators on intimate partner violence and domestic violence