One in five Qatari men believe domestic violence is justified under numerous circumstances, a government report has revealed.

The belief is stronger among teenage males in the country, with 22 percent of Qataris and non-Qatari believing it is okay for a husband to beat his wife if she does acts such as leaving the house without his permission, refusing to have sex with him, neglecting their children, arguing with him or burning food.

The report by the Ministry of Planning and Statistics surveyed 5,630 men aged 15-49, including 1,846 Qataris and 3,784 expats living in the Gulf state. About one in five of the respondents had never been married, while only 13.2 percent had attended university.

Domestic violence was more tolerated among Qataris (20.5 percent) than non-Qataris (13.7 percent).

Meanwhile, 5,699 women in the same categories also were surveyed. Only 6 percent believed domestic violence was justified under the same circumstances.

Of the five scenarios, they were most likely (3-5 percent) to justify a husband beating a women if she leaves the house without his permission or neglects the children.

Fewer than 1 percent of respondents justified beating a wife if she refused to have sex with her husband or burnt food.

The report’s authors said they were asked to gain “an indication of cultural beliefs that tend to be associated with the prevalence of violence against women by their husbands”.

Senior government officials have been calling for a reduction in domestic violence incidents, which are perceived to have risen in recent years, Doha News said.

In 2012, the Qatar Foundation for Protection of Women and Children recorded an average of nearly four cases of abuse daily, the news website said.

Qatar has been developing legislation specifically for domestic violence – which is presently dealt with under general abuse laws – for two years.