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A victim of economic abuse at the hands of an ex or current partner dies every three weeks across England and Wales, according to analysis said to show the danger posed by this form of coercive control.
The research into the impact of control of finances should be a "wake-up call" and shows this kind of abuse "is not just a money problem", Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) said.
The charity's analysis of more than 400 formal reviews of deaths in the two nations concluded that one person died every 19 days in cases involving economic abuse and intimate partner violence over a 12-year period from 2012-2024.
It said such abuse can include control over income, spending, bank accounts, bills and borrowing, as well as access to transport, technology, property, food and clothing.
The charity analysed Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs), which are carried out when someone over the age of 16 dies or is suspected to have died after abuse, violence or neglect from a current or former intimate partner, someone they were related to, or a member of the same household.
Their findings found that more than half (51% or 231 reviews) involved economic abuse "in the context of intimate partner violence", with the majority of victims female and most perpetrators male.
But the charity said the panels identified economic abuse in fewer than half of those 231 reviews where the charity felt it had been identified.
They also said victims of this form of abuse tended to be younger, with an average age of 40, compared to victims in all other cases, including for example domestic abuse, being on average 52 years old.
Deaths were by homicide or suicide and the charity said the number of deaths is likely to be higher as some victims might have experienced economic abuse that was not identified or recorded in the review.
While a statutory definition of domestic abuse did come into effect under legislation in 2021, which emphasised that domestic abuse can include economic abuse, the charity said "further work is needed to raise awareness of economic abuse and provide training to enhance understanding among local panels".
Sam Smethers, chief executive of SEA, said: "This report should be a wake-up call. Economic abuse is not just a money problem – it is central to coercive control, and it kills.
"Every three weeks, a victim dies because of an abuser who uses economic abuse as a tool for control. But the true toll of economic abuse is likely to be much higher.
"These are not just statistics. Every year, we hear the names of women killed by men read out in parliament by minister Jess Phillips through the work of the Counting Dead Women project.
"Some women are killed directly by abusers; others die by suicide, often linked to the perpetrators' ongoing economic abuse and feeling there is no way out.
"The evidence is clear: economic abuse is a serious risk factor for homicide and suicide.
"We cannot wait for another woman's life to be lost.
"With the Government committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, all agencies must act urgently to identify economic abuse early, effectively support victims, and close the gaps that allow perpetrators to exploit their systems.
"Only through coordinated and consistent action can we protect survivors and prevent further lives from being stolen."
Frank Mullane, chief executive of the Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) charity, said the report was "striking" in revealing "significant gaps in professionals' knowledge of economic abuse".
He added: "More than 20 years ago, my own sister experienced this form of abuse, but we did not have the language to name it, nor a shared understanding of its impact.
"As someone bereaved by double domestic murder, and as a former assessor of Domestic Homicide Reviews, I have seen how easily economic abuse can be missed – and how agencies can, inadvertently, allow it to continue."
He particularly welcomed SEA's call for Home Office guidance to state how organisations such as financial institutions to engage with DHRs as "particularly crucial".
He added: "I wonder what my late sister and nephew and other victims of fatal domestic abuse would think of this report. My hope is that it marks a turning point, that professionals recognise the huge and ruinous impact of economic abuse and take action to protect survivors and save lives."
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Economic abuse is a devastating form of domestic abuse that can trap victims in harmful relationships and have life-threatening consequences.
"This Government is deploying the full power of the state to halve violence against women and girls within a decade – and tackling economic abuse is integral to that mission.
"Since 2022, we have provided almost £800,000 in funding to the charity Surviving Economic Abuse to strengthen financial systems against economic abuse, provide training for frontline professionals, raise awareness and support victims."