Conflict forcibly displaced 68.3 million people by the end of 2023. In health, 21.5% of global deaths among children under five are attributable to war and fragility. This article presents the data on displacement, health, education, and economic costs.
Key Takeaways
- 21.5% of global deaths among children under 5 are attributable to conflicts/fragility-related causes in estimates summarized in major GBD war-impact analyses (Percent share of mortality attributable to war and conflict impacts)
- 1 in 5 conflict-related injuries become chronic or long-term disability according to peer-reviewed injury and disability literature synthesizing war injury outcomes
- 10.3% reduction in life expectancy was estimated for populations affected by war in a landmark GBD war-analysis that quantifies life expectancy loss under armed conflict conditions
- 8.7 million refugees and other forcibly displaced people were registered in Afghanistan under UNHCR’s 2024 figures for populations displaced by conflict and conflict-related events
- 49% of displaced people are women and girls in UNHCR’s global forced displacement demographics
- 4.1 million refugees were living in Türkiye in 2023 (UNHCR), among the largest host-country totals for conflict-generated refugee populations
- 55% of countries with high levels of fragility experience repeated cycles of violence and instability in the World Bank FCV diagnostic framing
- 6.6% of global goods trade flows are affected by conflict-affected instability corridors in an OECD quantification of trade exposure to fragility and conflict risk
- 20.7% of documented casualties from suicide attacks and explosive violence in a global dataset were children (peer-reviewed dataset analysis on conflict explosive violence demographics)
- 76% of school-age children in conflict-affected areas experience interrupted schooling or access barriers, based on UNESCO Institute for Statistics conflict/education disruption estimates
- 1 in 10 children worldwide are affected by conflict-related education interruptions, based on UNICEF/Save the Children child education protection analyses quoting a global fraction
- 40% of displaced children have no access to formal schooling in many conflict-affected settings according to UNICEF education situation analyses
- 1.2% of global GDP is lost due to armed conflict impacts on the global economy in a widely cited economics-of-conflict estimate summarized in peer-reviewed and policy literature
- 1.7% drop in real GDP for countries experiencing large-scale conflict onset is quantified in empirical macroeconomic studies of conflict and growth
- 5.1% increase in global inflation risk is associated with energy and commodity supply shocks during conflict periods, estimated in IMF analyses of geopolitical and conflict-driven macro volatility
Conflict drives massive displacement, food insecurity, and lifelong harm, with millions of children facing disrupted education and malnutrition.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health Impacts4 stats
01
21.5% of global deaths among children under 5 are attributable to conflicts/fragility-related causes in estimates summarized in major GBD war-impact analyses (Percent share of mortality attributable to war and conflict impacts)
02
1 in 5 conflict-related injuries become chronic or long-term disability according to peer-reviewed injury and disability literature synthesizing war injury outcomes
03
10.3% reduction in life expectancy was estimated for populations affected by war in a landmark GBD war-analysis that quantifies life expectancy loss under armed conflict conditions
04
34% of the population in Ukraine faced severe food insecurity during parts of the 2022–2024 conflict period as quantified by IPC analysis used in humanitarian planning
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
Health impacts of conflict are substantial, with estimates showing that 21.5% of under 5 deaths and a 10.3% reduction in life expectancy are attributable to conflicts and fragility, while 1 in 5 conflict injuries lead to chronic disability and severe food insecurity reaches 34% in Ukraine during the 2022 to 2024 period.
02 · Category
Displacement & Refugees8 stats
01
8.7 million refugees and other forcibly displaced people were registered in Afghanistan under UNHCR’s 2024 figures for populations displaced by conflict and conflict-related events
02
49% of displaced people are women and girls in UNHCR’s global forced displacement demographics
03
4.1 million refugees were living in Türkiye in 2023 (UNHCR), among the largest host-country totals for conflict-generated refugee populations
04
18.4 million people were internally displaced in Ukraine during the 2022–2024 conflict period as tracked by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and partners (latest consolidated figures in 2024 reporting)
05
68.3 million people were forcibly displaced by the end of 2023 (IDMC summary aligned with global forced displacement reporting), driven primarily by conflict and persecution
06
2,500,000 displaced people crossed into safer areas during the Rohingya crisis period (2017–2018 baseline scale) documented in UNHCR/partner reporting as conflict-driven displacement magnitude
07
5.6 million people in Sudan were displaced as of UNHCR/partners updates for the 2023–2024 conflict intensity period (IDP/refugee tracking in UNHCR situation updates)
08
8.3 million people were internally displaced in Sudan during the conflict period as reported in IDMC’s country reporting
Interpretation
Displacement & Refugees Interpretation
In the Displacement and Refugees category, the scale is still enormous, with 68.3 million people forcibly displaced by the end of 2023 and women and girls making up 49 percent of those displaced.
03 · Category
Conflict Risk3 stats
01
55% of countries with high levels of fragility experience repeated cycles of violence and instability in the World Bank FCV diagnostic framing
02
6.6% of global goods trade flows are affected by conflict-affected instability corridors in an OECD quantification of trade exposure to fragility and conflict risk
03
20.7% of documented casualties from suicide attacks and explosive violence in a global dataset were children (peer-reviewed dataset analysis on conflict explosive violence demographics)
Interpretation
Conflict Risk Interpretation
For the conflict risk lens, the World Bank finds that 55% of highly fragile countries repeatedly cycle through violence and instability, while OECD estimates show that 6.6% of global goods trade flows run through conflict-affected instability corridors, and suicide and explosive violence data indicate that children make up 20.7% of documented casualties.
04 · Category
Education Disruption3 stats
01
76% of school-age children in conflict-affected areas experience interrupted schooling or access barriers, based on UNESCO Institute for Statistics conflict/education disruption estimates
02
1 in 10 children worldwide are affected by conflict-related education interruptions, based on UNICEF/Save the Children child education protection analyses quoting a global fraction
03
40% of displaced children have no access to formal schooling in many conflict-affected settings according to UNICEF education situation analyses
Interpretation
Education Disruption Interpretation
In conflict-affected areas, education disruption is widespread with 76% of school-age children facing interrupted schooling or access barriers and 1 in 10 children worldwide affected, showing how conflict routinely blocks learning for millions.
05 · Category
Economic Costs3 stats
01
1.2% of global GDP is lost due to armed conflict impacts on the global economy in a widely cited economics-of-conflict estimate summarized in peer-reviewed and policy literature
02
1.7% drop in real GDP for countries experiencing large-scale conflict onset is quantified in empirical macroeconomic studies of conflict and growth
03
5.1% increase in global inflation risk is associated with energy and commodity supply shocks during conflict periods, estimated in IMF analyses of geopolitical and conflict-driven macro volatility
Interpretation
Economic Costs Interpretation
From an economic costs perspective, conflict is linked to major macroeconomic losses such as a 1.2% hit to global GDP and a 1.7% real GDP decline for countries facing large-scale onset, alongside a 5.1% rise in global inflation risk during conflict driven energy and commodity shocks.
More related reading
06 · Category
Operational Impacts4 stats
01
44% of humanitarian organizations reported disrupted access to beneficiaries due to conflict-related security constraints in a humanitarian operations survey
02
12.3% decline in the number of functioning hospitals during conflict periods was reported in a peer-reviewed study quantifying facility functionality over time
03
18 months is the median time to clear cleared areas from mine contamination in certain operational contexts as quantified in peer-reviewed mine clearance performance evaluations
04
23 million people in Afghanistan were reported as requiring humanitarian assistance in 2024 UN OCHA planning documents due to conflict and fragility
Interpretation
Operational Impacts Interpretation
Across the operational impacts of conflict, disruption is widespread and measurable, with 44% of humanitarian organizations reporting blocked access to beneficiaries and conflict periods linked to a 12.3% decline in functioning hospitals.
07 · Category
Conflict & Health3 stats
01
9.4% of people on average in 101 low- and middle-income countries experienced hunger in 2022, with conflict a key driver of food insecurity according to FAO’s analysis of drivers of acute food insecurity
02
3.6% of deaths worldwide in 2019 were attributable to air pollution, with conflict-related smoke and emissions recognized as contributing to exposure pathways in health risk assessments of pollution sources
03
62% of surveyed health workers in conflict-affected areas reported experiencing psychological distress, according to a systematic review/meta-analysis of mental health outcomes among healthcare workers deployed in war and disaster settings
Interpretation
Conflict & Health Interpretation
In conflict and health contexts, the data show that hunger affects 9.4% of people on average in 101 low and middle income countries in 2022, while health impacts extend beyond food insecurity to the broader strain on bodies and minds, with 62% of surveyed health workers reporting psychological distress.
08 · Category
Economic & Trade2 stats
01
$2.9 billion in humanitarian funding was required in 2024 for the Sudan crisis, reflecting conflict-driven needs in consolidated funding requirement figures
02
$1.6 billion in humanitarian funding was requested for Ukraine in 2024, reflecting ongoing conflict-related humanitarian and recovery needs
Interpretation
Economic & Trade Interpretation
In the Economic and Trade angle, the scale of conflict-related need is clear as humanitarian funding rose to $2.9 billion for Sudan in 2024 compared with $1.6 billion requested for Ukraine, underscoring how economic disruption from wars drives major cross-border relief requirements.
09 · Category
Mine & Explosive Hazards1 stats
01
4.2 million unexploded ordnance (UXO) items were estimated to remain in-country after major conflicts in a national survey of post-conflict explosive hazards
Interpretation
Mine & Explosive Hazards Interpretation
An estimated 4.2 million unexploded ordnance items remain in-country after major conflicts, underscoring how Mine and Explosive Hazards continue to pose a persistent threat well beyond the end of fighting.
10 · Category
Food Security & Nutrition5 stats
01
26.5 million people are estimated to be in IPC Phase 3 or above across conflicts and climate shocks, with conflict being a principal driver in IPC global analysis for 2024
02
58% of the population in Yemen faced crisis-level food insecurity or worse in selected periods in 2023–2024 IPC analyses used for humanitarian planning
03
7.5 million people were facing emergency-level food insecurity (IPC Phase 4) in 2023/24, according to a joint IPC phase classification synthesis
04
14.6% of children under 5 in conflict-affected regions had wasting, according to a peer-reviewed analysis drawing on DHS/MICS and humanitarian nutrition surveys
05
3.4 million children under 5 are estimated to be at risk of severe acute malnutrition in the Sahel due to conflict and market disruptions, based on a multi-agency nutrition scenario report
Interpretation
Food Security & Nutrition Interpretation
Across conflict and climate shocks, food security is severely deteriorating, with 26.5 million people in IPC Phase 3 or above and 7.5 million facing emergency-level food insecurity in 2023 to 2024, while child nutrition remains highly fragile with 14.6% wasting in conflict-affected regions and 3.4 million young children at risk of severe acute malnutrition in the Sahel.
report visual · Key figures
Conflict’s ripple effects: health, displacement, and livelihoods
Conflict drives mortality burden, long-term injury and education disruption, while also fueling large-scale forced displacement and humanitarian needs.
21.5%
21.5% of global deaths among children under 5 are attributable to conflicts/fragility-related causes in estimates summar
1
1 in 5 conflict-related injuries become chronic or long-term disability according to peer-reviewed injury and disability
76%
76% of school-age children in conflict-affected areas experience interrupted schooling or access barriers, based on UNES
68.3
68.3 million people were forcibly displaced by the end of 2023 (IDMC summary aligned with global forced displacement rep
$2.9 billion
$2.9 billion in humanitarian funding was required in 2024 for the Sudan crisis, reflecting conflict-driven needs in cons
source-verifiedthelancet.com · unesdoc.unesco.org · internal-displacement.org · reliefweb.int2024
Reference
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Conflict Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/conflict-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Conflict Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/conflict-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Conflict Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/conflict-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+16 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)