NEW YORK - More than 370 million girls and young women have been raped or sexually assaulted worldwide before the age of 18, the UN Children's Fund, Unicef, said on Thursday.
The figures came as the fund published its first global estimate on sexualised violence against children ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on Friday.
The data means that one in eight girls is affected by this form of violence.
If other "non-contact" forms of sexualised violence such as online or verbal violence are included, the number of girls and young women affected worldwide rises to 650 million or one in five, Unicef said, according to German news agency (dpa).
The situation worsens for those in fragile settings, such as those with weak institutions, UN peacekeeping forces, or many refugees fleeing violence and insecurity. In these situations the prevalence of rape and sexual assault in childhood rises to slightly more than one in four.
Boys and young men are also affected by sexual violence, the agency reported. An estimated 240 to 310 million boys - about one in 11 - have experienced rape or sexual assault in their childhood.
According to the data, most sexual violence against minors occurs during adolescence, with a significant increase between the ages of 14 and 17.
Sexual violence against children is widespread across all geographical, cultural and economic boundaries, the agency said.
The region with the highest number of victims is sub-Saharan Africa, with 79 million girls and women (22 per cent), followed by 75 million in East and Southeast Asia (8 per cent), 73 million in Central and South Asia (9 per cent), and 68 million in Europe and North America (14 per cent). - BERNAMA-dpa