Study Discovers Domestic Violence in California Results in $73 Billion Cost to the State

A recent study from researchers at Tulane University in New Orleans and the University of California, San Diego has found the impact of domestic partner violence against women costs the state of California billions of dollars every year.

The study found that in 2022, California underwent $73 billion in healthcare expenses, lost productivity and income, criminal justice expenditures, and resource programs due to domestic violence cases. According to the report, this cost is equal to roughly 2 percent of the California’s gross domestic profit and nearly a quarter of the state’s annual budget.

The authors state this high cost is due to the prevalence of domestic violence against women across the state. The study found that over half of Californian women experience some form of violence from an intimate partner during their lifetime. Additionally, the report found nearly one third of women in California experienced physical and/or sexual violence within the past year. Women who experience domestic violence have an increased risk of health concerns, which subsequently result in increased state health expenditures.

The study authors released a similar report earlier this year regarding the domestic violence cost to the state of Louisiana, which was found to be $10.1 billion in 2022. Currently, California and Louisiana are the only two states that examine the economic cost of domestic violence.