Global Violence Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Global Violence Statistics

Across conflict, terrorism, and everyday abuse, violence adds up fast, with 2.4 million children reached through education in emergencies in 2021 and explosive weapons accounting for 61% of civilian deaths in 2022, while 3.4 million new refugees were recorded during 2023. The page connects these shocks to measurable costs and risks, from the global average homicide rate of 5.4 per 100,000 in 2019 to violence against women and girls estimated to cost USD $1.6 trillion every year.

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Key Statistics

Statistic 1

378,000 people died from terrorism in 2019 worldwide (global estimate)

Statistic 2

1,733,000 people were displaced within their own country in 2022 due to conflict/violence (internally displaced persons, global figure)

Statistic 3

108,029 refugees and asylum-seekers were recorded as arriving in 2023 in 33 European countries (global displacement pressures reflected by Europe’s recorded arrivals)

Statistic 4

USD $1.6 trillion is the estimated annual global cost of violence against women and girls (OECD estimate, 2016)

Statistic 5

USD $10.7 trillion is the estimated global annual cost of violence against children (UNICEF estimate, 2015)

Statistic 6

USD $7.8 billion is the estimated annual cost of violence against women in low- and middle-income countries in 2016 (WHO/PAHO-cited estimate)

Statistic 7

USD $329 billion is estimated as the global cost of violence in 2014 for children (save the children / UNICEF cited estimate)

Statistic 8

7% of women aged 15–49 worldwide experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner at least once in their lifetime (WHO global estimate)

Statistic 9

1 in 3 women (35%) worldwide has experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence (WHO/UN Women estimate)

Statistic 10

20% of women worldwide report experiencing physical or sexual violence in the past 12 months (multi-country survey findings summarized by WHO)

Statistic 11

9% of children aged 2–17 worldwide experienced physical punishment and/or psychological aggression at least once in the past month (UNICEF global estimate)

Statistic 12

18% of girls aged 15–19 worldwide were married or in a union before age 18 (UNICEF global estimate, SDG 5.3)

Statistic 13

8% of adult women experienced stalking at least once in the past year in a WHO global assessment (WHO estimate)

Statistic 14

31% of the global population lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022 (World Bank/LIC estimates summarized in World Development Report)

Statistic 15

3 years is the median time to complete a homicide case in the International Association of Prosecutors global survey (median duration reported in 2019)

Statistic 16

2.4 million children in conflict-affected settings were reached with education in emergencies in 2021 (UNICEF Education Cannot Wait figures)

Statistic 17

USD $4.8 billion in reported global humanitarian assistance was allocated to protection and safety in 2020 (OCHA FTS classification)

Statistic 18

OCHA recorded 32,000 security incidents against humanitarian workers in 2022 (global humanitarian security incidents)

Statistic 19

4.6% of global official development assistance (ODA) in 2020 was allocated to peace and security (OECD/DAC estimate)

Statistic 20

$1.2 billion was committed globally to preventing violence against women and girls in 2022 (OECD/UN Women data on development aid commitments)

Statistic 21

1,820 recorded armed conflicts occurred worldwide in 2021 (UCDP conflict dataset total conflicts)

Statistic 22

Approximately 1.2 million people were killed in armed conflict in 2019 worldwide (UCDP/AHPC conflict mortality estimate)

Statistic 23

50% of all conflict-related deaths occurred among civilians in the UCDP estimates for 2020 (UCDP civilian targeting metrics)

Statistic 24

125,000+ people were killed in Russia-Ukraine conflict as of mid-2022 (UN OHCHR estimates referenced in UN reporting)

Statistic 25

18,000+ people were killed in conflicts in Yemen in 2020 (UN OCHA/UN reporting for Yemen)

Statistic 26

The global homicide rate was 5.4 per 100,000 population in 2019 (UNODC estimate)

Statistic 27

9.1% of the world’s population lived in a conflict-affected state in 2023 (share living in countries with conflict conditions)

Statistic 28

12,900 attacks on healthcare were recorded globally in 2023 (number of attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel)

Statistic 29

20,500 civilians were killed in conflict in 2022 in which at least one party used explosive weapons in populated areas (estimated casualties from explosive weapons in populated areas)

Statistic 30

3,500 schools were damaged or destroyed by explosive weapons in 2023 (number of education facilities impacted)

Statistic 31

65 countries reported outbreaks of violence-related conflict displacement in 2022 (country count with conflict/violence displacement reporting)

Statistic 32

61% of civilians killed in conflict in 2022 were killed by explosive weapons (proportion among civilian deaths from explosive weapons)

Statistic 33

400,000 people were killed by homicide globally each year on average (homicide deaths estimate per year)

Statistic 34

10% of global deaths are attributed to interpersonal violence (estimated fraction of total deaths)

Statistic 35

1 in 5 women report experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime (lifetime prevalence estimate)

Statistic 36

1 in 10 children experienced physical or psychological violence in the past month in 2019–2021 (global prevalence estimate from recent survey evidence)

Statistic 37

50% of global stunting is linked to early-life adversity including violence exposure (estimated contribution of adversity including violence to stunting burden)

Statistic 38

3.6% of global GDP is lost due to violence-related impacts on health and security (share of GDP lost to violence in a global estimate)

Statistic 39

USD $1.4 billion in recorded humanitarian assistance was allocated to “Protection and Safety” in 2022 (annual allocation value for protection and safety)

Statistic 40

3.4 million new refugees were recorded during 2023 (new arrivals/refugee status determinations in 2023)

Statistic 41

1.1 million people were internally displaced during 2023 due to conflict and violence (new internal displacement during 2023)

Statistic 42

27,200 refugees were resettled globally in 2023 (global resettlement departures)

Sources
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Priya Chandrasekaran

Written by Priya Chandrasekaran·Edited by Abigail Foster·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 11, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Violence is not just a headline issue. In 2022, 31 percent of the global population lived in conflict-affected countries, yet the same year also saw civilians make up 50 percent of conflict-related deaths and 61 percent of those deaths linked to explosive weapons. Alongside conflict and displacement, the data also traces intimate and everyday harm, from lifelong experience of partner violence to the rising costs of violence against women, children, and communities.

Key Takeaways

  • 378,000 people died from terrorism in 2019 worldwide (global estimate)
  • 1,733,000 people were displaced within their own country in 2022 due to conflict/violence (internally displaced persons, global figure)
  • 108,029 refugees and asylum-seekers were recorded as arriving in 2023 in 33 European countries (global displacement pressures reflected by Europe’s recorded arrivals)
  • USD $1.6 trillion is the estimated annual global cost of violence against women and girls (OECD estimate, 2016)
  • USD $10.7 trillion is the estimated global annual cost of violence against children (UNICEF estimate, 2015)
  • USD $7.8 billion is the estimated annual cost of violence against women in low- and middle-income countries in 2016 (WHO/PAHO-cited estimate)
  • 7% of women aged 15–49 worldwide experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner at least once in their lifetime (WHO global estimate)
  • 1 in 3 women (35%) worldwide has experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence (WHO/UN Women estimate)
  • 20% of women worldwide report experiencing physical or sexual violence in the past 12 months (multi-country survey findings summarized by WHO)
  • 31% of the global population lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022 (World Bank/LIC estimates summarized in World Development Report)
  • 3 years is the median time to complete a homicide case in the International Association of Prosecutors global survey (median duration reported in 2019)
  • 2.4 million children in conflict-affected settings were reached with education in emergencies in 2021 (UNICEF Education Cannot Wait figures)
  • 1,820 recorded armed conflicts occurred worldwide in 2021 (UCDP conflict dataset total conflicts)
  • Approximately 1.2 million people were killed in armed conflict in 2019 worldwide (UCDP/AHPC conflict mortality estimate)
  • 50% of all conflict-related deaths occurred among civilians in the UCDP estimates for 2020 (UCDP civilian targeting metrics)

Violence and conflict are displacing millions and costing trillions, harming women and children worldwide every year.

Epidemiology & Burden

1378,000 people died from terrorism in 2019 worldwide (global estimate)[1]
Verified
21,733,000 people were displaced within their own country in 2022 due to conflict/violence (internally displaced persons, global figure)[2]
Directional
3108,029 refugees and asylum-seekers were recorded as arriving in 2023 in 33 European countries (global displacement pressures reflected by Europe’s recorded arrivals)[3]
Verified

Epidemiology & Burden Interpretation

From an epidemiology and burden perspective, the data show that large scale violence is not only lethal but also persistently displacing people, with 378,000 deaths from terrorism in 2019 worldwide and 1,733,000 internally displaced in 2022, while Europe alone recorded 108,029 refugee and asylum seeker arrivals in 2023 across 33 countries.

Economic & Social Costs

1USD $1.6 trillion is the estimated annual global cost of violence against women and girls (OECD estimate, 2016)[4]
Verified
2USD $10.7 trillion is the estimated global annual cost of violence against children (UNICEF estimate, 2015)[5]
Directional
3USD $7.8 billion is the estimated annual cost of violence against women in low- and middle-income countries in 2016 (WHO/PAHO-cited estimate)[6]
Verified
4USD $329 billion is estimated as the global cost of violence in 2014 for children (save the children / UNICEF cited estimate)[7]
Verified

Economic & Social Costs Interpretation

Economic and social costs linked to violence are staggering, with annual global estimates reaching $10.7 trillion for violence against children and $1.6 trillion for violence against women and girls, showing that these harms impose massive financial burdens alongside their human impact.

Prevalence & Risk Factors

17% of women aged 15–49 worldwide experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner at least once in their lifetime (WHO global estimate)[8]
Directional
21 in 3 women (35%) worldwide has experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence (WHO/UN Women estimate)[9]
Verified
320% of women worldwide report experiencing physical or sexual violence in the past 12 months (multi-country survey findings summarized by WHO)[10]
Single source
49% of children aged 2–17 worldwide experienced physical punishment and/or psychological aggression at least once in the past month (UNICEF global estimate)[11]
Verified
518% of girls aged 15–19 worldwide were married or in a union before age 18 (UNICEF global estimate, SDG 5.3)[12]
Single source
68% of adult women experienced stalking at least once in the past year in a WHO global assessment (WHO estimate)[13]
Verified

Prevalence & Risk Factors Interpretation

Across prevalence and risk factors, violence remains widespread with WHO estimates showing 35% of women experience some form of intimate partner physical and or sexual violence or non partner sexual violence and recent reports add that 20% of women faced physical or sexual violence in the past 12 months.

Policy, Prevention & Response

131% of the global population lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022 (World Bank/LIC estimates summarized in World Development Report)[14]
Verified
23 years is the median time to complete a homicide case in the International Association of Prosecutors global survey (median duration reported in 2019)[15]
Single source
32.4 million children in conflict-affected settings were reached with education in emergencies in 2021 (UNICEF Education Cannot Wait figures)[16]
Directional
4USD $4.8 billion in reported global humanitarian assistance was allocated to protection and safety in 2020 (OCHA FTS classification)[17]
Verified
5OCHA recorded 32,000 security incidents against humanitarian workers in 2022 (global humanitarian security incidents)[18]
Verified
64.6% of global official development assistance (ODA) in 2020 was allocated to peace and security (OECD/DAC estimate)[19]
Directional
7$1.2 billion was committed globally to preventing violence against women and girls in 2022 (OECD/UN Women data on development aid commitments)[20]
Verified

Policy, Prevention & Response Interpretation

In 2022, conflict-affected settings still involved 31% of the global population, and while prevention and response funding is present, only 4.6% of 2020 ODA went to peace and security and $1.2 billion was committed to prevent violence against women and girls, showing that policy and prevention investments must scale fast enough to match the scale of risk and the system delays like a 3 year median homicide case timeline.

Terrorism & Armed Conflict

11,820 recorded armed conflicts occurred worldwide in 2021 (UCDP conflict dataset total conflicts)[21]
Directional
2Approximately 1.2 million people were killed in armed conflict in 2019 worldwide (UCDP/AHPC conflict mortality estimate)[22]
Directional
350% of all conflict-related deaths occurred among civilians in the UCDP estimates for 2020 (UCDP civilian targeting metrics)[23]
Directional
4125,000+ people were killed in Russia-Ukraine conflict as of mid-2022 (UN OHCHR estimates referenced in UN reporting)[24]
Single source
518,000+ people were killed in conflicts in Yemen in 2020 (UN OCHA/UN reporting for Yemen)[25]
Verified

Terrorism & Armed Conflict Interpretation

In the Terrorism and Armed Conflict landscape, violence remained widespread in 2021 with 1,820 recorded armed conflicts worldwide, and the toll was severe with about 1.2 million people killed in armed conflict in 2019 and roughly half of conflict related deaths in 2020 falling on civilians.

Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement

1The global homicide rate was 5.4 per 100,000 population in 2019 (UNODC estimate)[26]
Verified

Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Interpretation

In the Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement context, the UNODC estimate shows the global homicide rate was 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2019, underscoring the ongoing scale of lethal violence that criminal justice systems must address.

Security & Access

19.1% of the world’s population lived in a conflict-affected state in 2023 (share living in countries with conflict conditions)[27]
Verified
212,900 attacks on healthcare were recorded globally in 2023 (number of attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel)[28]
Verified
320,500 civilians were killed in conflict in 2022 in which at least one party used explosive weapons in populated areas (estimated casualties from explosive weapons in populated areas)[29]
Verified
43,500 schools were damaged or destroyed by explosive weapons in 2023 (number of education facilities impacted)[30]
Single source
565 countries reported outbreaks of violence-related conflict displacement in 2022 (country count with conflict/violence displacement reporting)[31]
Verified

Security & Access Interpretation

In 2023, 9.1% of the world’s population lived in conflict-affected states while healthcare and schools were repeatedly targeted, with 12,900 attacks on healthcare and 3,500 education facilities damaged or destroyed, underscoring how security breakdown directly threatens access to essential services.

Conflict Exposure

161% of civilians killed in conflict in 2022 were killed by explosive weapons (proportion among civilian deaths from explosive weapons)[32]
Verified

Conflict Exposure Interpretation

Within the Conflict Exposure category, explosive weapons accounted for 61% of civilian deaths in 2022, showing that most civilian harm in conflict is driven by these weapons.

Violent Crime

1400,000 people were killed by homicide globally each year on average (homicide deaths estimate per year)[33]
Single source
210% of global deaths are attributed to interpersonal violence (estimated fraction of total deaths)[34]
Single source

Violent Crime Interpretation

Every year, around 400,000 people are killed by homicide globally, showing that violent crime remains a major driver of death worldwide since interpersonal violence accounts for about 10% of all global deaths.

Health Burden

11 in 5 women report experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime (lifetime prevalence estimate)[35]
Verified
21 in 10 children experienced physical or psychological violence in the past month in 2019–2021 (global prevalence estimate from recent survey evidence)[36]
Single source
350% of global stunting is linked to early-life adversity including violence exposure (estimated contribution of adversity including violence to stunting burden)[37]
Verified

Health Burden Interpretation

From a health burden perspective, violence is not a distant issue but a common one, with 1 in 5 women experiencing intimate partner physical or sexual violence and 1 in 10 children reporting recent physical or psychological violence, while violence linked early-life adversity is estimated to account for 50% of global stunting.

Economic Impact

13.6% of global GDP is lost due to violence-related impacts on health and security (share of GDP lost to violence in a global estimate)[38]
Verified
2USD $1.4 billion in recorded humanitarian assistance was allocated to “Protection and Safety” in 2022 (annual allocation value for protection and safety)[39]
Verified

Economic Impact Interpretation

The economic impact of violence is stark, with an estimated 3.6% of global GDP lost to health and security effects and only USD 1.4 billion in humanitarian funding for protection and safety in 2022, underscoring how large the costs are relative to targeted support.

Displacement Dynamics

13.4 million new refugees were recorded during 2023 (new arrivals/refugee status determinations in 2023)[40]
Directional
21.1 million people were internally displaced during 2023 due to conflict and violence (new internal displacement during 2023)[41]
Verified
327,200 refugees were resettled globally in 2023 (global resettlement departures)[42]
Single source

Displacement Dynamics Interpretation

In displacement dynamics, 3.4 million people newly became refugees in 2023 while 1.1 million were newly internally displaced, and only 27,200 refugees were resettled globally, highlighting how far displacement is outpacing durable solutions.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Global Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-violence-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Global Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/global-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Global Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-violence-statistics.

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