Stalking Statistics in the United States: What Government Data Shows

The Headline Numbers From the Bureau of Justice Statistics

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) measures stalking through a supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. Its most recent stalking report covers 2019 (Stalking Victimization, 2019).

• About 1.3% of people age 16 or older, or 3.4 million people, were stalked in 2019.
• The rate fell from 1.5% in 2016 to 1.3% in 2019.
• Women were stalked at 1.8%, compared with 0.8% for men. Women were stalked more than twice as often.
• Only 29% of victims reported the stalking to police.
• About 16% of victims contacted a victim service provider.
• Among victims who experienced both in-person stalking and stalking with technology, 67% feared being killed or physically harmed.

Lifetime Numbers From the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asks a different question: has this ever happened to you? Its National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) found the following (2023/2024 Stalking Data Brief).

• More than 1 in 5 women (22.5%, about 28.8 million) were stalked at some point in their lives.
• About 1 in 10 men (9.7%, about 11.9 million) were stalked in their lifetimes.
• In the 12 months before the survey, 1 in 20 women (5.5%) and 1 in 33 men (3.0%) were stalked.

CDC cautions that these 2023/2024 results are not directly comparable to its earlier surveys. Its 2016/2017 survey reported higher lifetime figures (31.2% of women and 16.1% of men), but the stalking measures and the way data were collected changed, so the difference should not be read as a decline in stalking. That earlier report also found a greater burden among American Indian or Alaska Native people and multiracial people (2016/2017 report).

In these figures, "stalked" means the person experienced a pattern of unwanted tactics more than once from the same perpetrator and either felt afraid, threatened, or concerned for their own or others' safety, or received threats of physical harm.

Why Different Sources Give Different Numbers

If you have seen 1.3% in one place and 31% in another, both can be right. The numbers measure different things.

• Time frame: BJS reports the past 12 months. The CDC also reports lifetime experience, which is always higher.
• Age range: BJS covers people 16 and older. The CDC survey covers adults.
• Definitions: Each survey sets its own threshold for fear and for how many incidents count. A stricter definition produces a smaller number.
• Method: Both are surveys of the public, not counts of police reports, so they capture cases that never reached the justice system.

When you cite a statistic, always state the year, the population, and the time frame.

What the Numbers Say About Reporting

The gap between how many people are stalked and how many report it is one of the clearest findings. The Office of Justice Programs notes that stalking is a crime in all 50 states and at the federal level, yet fewer than a third of victims go to police. Many are afraid of escalation, doubt they will be believed, or are unsure whether what is happening "counts." Our guides on what stalking is and how to prove it address those doubts directly.

For more research summaries, visit our Facts & Research page.

How These Statistics Are Collected

Understanding the method helps you judge the number.

• BJS: The Supplemental Victimization Survey is a stalking supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. Census Bureau interviewers ask a nationally representative sample of people about their experiences.
• CDC: The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey is a national survey. For the 2023/2024 data brief, 15,609 adults (8,842 women and 6,767 men) completed it between September 2023 and September 2024, using address-based sampling and a push-to-web method, with a 16.5% response rate. CDC cautions against comparing these results with earlier years because the stalking measures and data collection changed.

Both surveys count experiences whether or not anyone called the police, which is why they show far more stalking than arrest or crime-report data do.

What These Numbers Cannot Tell You

A survey percentage cannot tell you how severe or how long a particular case is. Some victims are stalked for weeks; others for years. Our article on who stalks and how long it lasts covers duration and offender patterns, and our Understanding Stalking Guide explains the behaviors behind the statistics.

If you are using these figures in a school paper, grant application, or news story, link directly to the source report rather than to a summary, and give the survey year.

Trends Over Time: What Changed Between 1995-96, 2006, 2016, and 2019

National stalking data spans more than two decades, but the surveys changed over time, so comparisons need care.

• 1995-96. The first national survey, the National Violence Against Women Survey run by the National Institute of Justice and the CDC, found that about 8% of women and 2% of men had been stalked at some point in their lives. Its researchers described their definition of stalking as conservative (NIJ).
• 2006. BJS's first stalking supplement estimated about 3.3 million people age 18 or older were stalked in a year, roughly 1.5% of that population.
• 2016. BJS repeated the survey and expanded it to people 16 and older, finding 1.5%.
• 2019. BJS found 1.3%, or 3.4 million people, a statistically meaningful decline in the rate even though the estimated number of victims rose slightly because the population grew.

The honest summary is that the yearly rate has stayed within a narrow band for about fifteen years while the number of people affected remains in the millions. Read the BJS report Stalking Victimization, 2019 for the 2016 to 2019 comparison.

Stalking Behaviors in the Data

Government surveys ask about specific behaviors, not just whether someone "was stalked." The CDC's report lists tactics that include unwanted phone calls, showing up or approaching, following and watching, unwanted texts, photos, and emails through social media, unwanted cards, letters, flowers, and presents, sneaking into a home or car, using GPS to monitor or track, leaving strange items, and using technology to spy (CDC report).

BJS found that following and watching were among the most frequently reported in-person behaviors in 2019, and that unwanted phone calls, voice messages, and text messages were prominent among behaviors involving technology. Most victims experience several tactics, not just one, which is why a single message or incident seldom tells the whole story. In the CDC's 2023/2024 data, about 78% of women and 76% of men who had been stalked were followed, watched, or spied on, and about 69% of both groups received unwanted phone calls, emails, voicemails, or text messages. See our guide to what stalking behaviors look like.

The Relationship Between Victim and Offender

One of the most consistent findings is that victims usually know the person stalking them.

• In BJS's 2006 survey, nearly 7 in 10 victims knew their offender in some capacity.
• In 2019, victims who experienced both in-person stalking and stalking with technology were more likely to be stalked by an intimate partner (35%) than victims of in-person stalking alone (11%).
• The CDC's lifetime estimates are closely tied to intimate partner violence, and stalking often occurs alongside it.

This is why advice to "watch out for strangers" misses most cases. Read who stalks and how long it lasts and facts about stalkers.

Reporting and Help-Seeking in the Data

• Only 29% of victims reported stalking to police in 2019.
• About 16% of victims contacted a victim service provider.
• 67% of victims of both in-person and technology-based stalking feared being killed or physically harmed, yet most still did not report.

Why the gap? Victims commonly cite doubt that the behavior "counts," fear of retaliation, a belief that police can't help, and the emotional weight of dealing with someone they know. Easier, safer ways to report and clearer information about what to expect can narrow the gap. Use our guide to reporting stalking and the Police Report tool.

How Rates Differ by State

National averages hide large differences. In the CDC's 2023/2024 data, women's lifetime stalking prevalence ranged from 15.6% to 35.2% across states (all but one state had reportable estimates), and men's state-level estimates were reportable only for California, at 10.6%. Part of that variation reflects real differences and part reflects smaller state samples and wide margins of error. If you are comparing states, read the CDC data brief directly and note the confidence intervals. For help specific to your state, use our State Reporting Guide.

More From BJS's 2006 Survey

BJS's 2006 Supplemental Victimization Survey (revised in 2012) remains the most detailed BJS portrait of who is stalked and how. Several of its findings are worth knowing, and because they are older than the 2019 data, describe them as 2006 figures (BJS).

• Younger adults had the highest rates: about 2.9% of people ages 18 to 19 and 2.8% of those ages 20 to 24 were stalked in the survey year, and the rate fell with age.
• People who were divorced or separated had the highest rate by marital status (3.3%), compared with 0.8% of married people.
• Stalking was more common in lower-income households than in higher-income ones.
• Nearly 7 in 10 victims knew their stalker, and 9% were stalked by a stranger.
• About 11% of victims had been stalked for five years or more.
• Unwanted phone calls and messages were the most common behavior (about two-thirds of victims), followed by spreading rumors (about 36%) and following or spying (about 34%).

These are 2006 figures, so treat them as a baseline rather than a current estimate.

A Short Glossary of Terms Used in Stalking Statistics

• Prevalence: the share of a population that has experienced something during a period, such as the past year or a lifetime.
• Lifetime prevalence: the share who have ever experienced it.
• 12-month (past-year) prevalence: the share who experienced it in the past 12 months.
• Traditional stalking: in-person behaviors, such as following and showing up.
• Stalking with technology: behaviors that use phones, the internet, or other devices.
• Self-report: data based on people's own answers, not police records.
• Margin of error: the range within which the true value probably falls.
• Weighted estimate: a figure adjusted so that a survey sample reflects the whole population.

How to Turn Statistics Into Action

Numbers matter most when they change what people do.

• If you are being stalked, the statistics tell you that you are not alone and that taking action early is reasonable. Start with a safety plan and keep a dated record.
• If you work at a school or company, assume some of your students or employees are affected. Make reporting simple and confidential, and keep schedules and locations private.
• If you are a journalist or researcher, cite the original report, state the definition, and include how to find help.
• If you are a policymaker or funder, use the data to support victim services, training, and better measurement of newer technologies.
• If you are a friend or family member, believe the person and help them find official resources.

Case Counts vs. Rates: How to Read the Numbers

Two kinds of numbers appear in stalking statistics, and they answer different questions.

• A count tells you how many people were affected, such as 3.4 million in 2019. Counts are useful for understanding the scale of a problem and for planning services.
• A rate tells you what share of a population was affected, such as 1.3%. Rates are useful for comparing groups and years, because they account for population size.

When the population grows, the count can rise even if the rate falls. That is what happened between 2016 and 2019: BJS found the rate declined, while the estimated number of victims stayed in the millions. If you are writing about trends, use the rate. If you are describing impact, use the count, and be clear about which you are using.

Percentages can also mislead if you forget the group they apply to. A rate among people 16 and older is not the same as a rate among women, or among college students, or among people who have ever been in an intimate relationship. Always name the group.

What Being Stalked Does to People

Prevalence numbers describe how many people are affected. They say less about what the experience is like. Government research gives glimpses.

• Fear. In BJS's 2019 data, 67% of victims who experienced both in-person stalking and stalking with technology feared being killed or physically harmed.
• Health. In the CDC's 2023/2024 data, 85.2% of female and 71.6% of male stalking victims experienced mental or emotional harm as a result (CDC), reflecting that stalking is a public health concern, not only a crime problem.
• Disruption. In the National Violence Against Women Survey (1995-96), about one-third of victims sought psychological treatment, and about one-fifth lost time from work, 7 percent of whom said they never returned (NIJ).
• Severity. The Office of Justice Programs describes stalking as dangerous and potentially lethal.

Behind each statistic is a person who may be sleeping poorly, looking over their shoulder, or rearranging their life. If you are one of them, read coping after being stalked, and call or text 988 if you feel overwhelmed.

Ready-to-Use Sentences With Citations

Writers, students, and grant applicants often need a clear sentence with a source. These are accurate as of the reports cited. Check for newer releases before you publish.

• "About 1.3% of U.S. residents age 16 or older, or 3.4 million people, were victims of stalking in 2019 (Bureau of Justice Statistics)."
• "In 2019, women were stalked at 1.8% compared with 0.8% for men (Bureau of Justice Statistics)."
• "Only 29% of stalking victims reported the victimization to police in 2019 (Bureau of Justice Statistics)."
• "More than 1 in 5 women (22.5%) and about 1 in 10 men (9.7%) have been stalked at some point in their lives (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NISVS 2023/2024)."
• "In the 12 months before the survey, 1 in 20 women and 1 in 33 men were stalked (CDC, NISVS 2023/2024)."
• "Stalking is a crime in all 50 states and at the federal level (Office of Justice Programs)."

If you adapt a sentence, keep the year, the population, and the source together. That is what makes a statistic reusable.

What the Data Suggests About Prevention and Response

Statistics cannot dictate policy, but they point toward a few priorities.

• Reach people early. Most victims know their stalker, and many experience stalking within or after relationships. Education about warning signs, healthy boundaries, and safe ways to end relationships can help.
• Make reporting easier. With only 29% of victims reporting, better information, simpler channels, and responsive police and prosecutors could bring more cases into the system.
• Connect victims to services. Only about 16% of victims contacted a victim service provider, which suggests many are unaware of what is available.
• Address technology directly. Because technology is part of many cases, device and account security, trackers, and data exposure belong in prevention efforts.
• Support better measurement. Surveys need to keep pace with new tools and capture groups that are currently hard to reach.

Our Position Statements explain our views on these priorities, and our Mission & Advocacy page describes how we work toward them.

The Numbers at a Glance

If you only need the essentials, here is the short version, with each figure tied to its source.

• Past-year rate: about 1.3% of people 16 and older, or 3.4 million people, were stalked in 2019 (Bureau of Justice Statistics).
• Trend: the rate fell from 1.5% in 2016 to 1.3% in 2019 (Bureau of Justice Statistics).
• Gender gap: women 1.8%, men 0.8% in 2019 (Bureau of Justice Statistics).
• Lifetime: 22.5% of women and 9.7% of men (CDC, 2023/2024 data).
• Past 12 months: 1 in 20 women and 1 in 33 men (CDC, 2023/2024 data).
• Reporting: 29% of victims reported to police in 2019 (Bureau of Justice Statistics).
• Fear: 67% of victims of both in-person and technology-based stalking feared being killed or physically harmed (Bureau of Justice Statistics).
• Legal status: stalking is a crime in all 50 states and at the federal level (Office of Justice Programs).

Whenever you use one of these, keep the year and the source with it.

Every percentage on this page represents a person who had to decide whether to tell anyone. Better data starts with making it safer to speak up.

Sources and further reading

• Stalking Victimization, 2019 (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
• CDC: NISVS 2023/2024 Stalking Data Brief (Sept. 2025)
• Stalking (Office of Justice Programs)