Gun violence and intimate partner violence shape many of the world’s most preventable tragedies, yet the patterns vary sharply by country and weapon. Around 464,000 people were homicide victims in 2017, which works out to one every 68 seconds, while globally 137 women are killed every day by a partner or family member. As you compare rates, shares, and contexts, the most surprising shifts are often not where you expect them to be.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, 55% of homicides in 2017 were by firearm
- In the US, 34% of female homicide victims in 2021 were killed by an intimate partner
- Worldwide, 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners
- In 2021, US gun violence killed 48,830, highest on record
- 79% of US homicides in 2021 involved firearms
- In 2022, 44,290 gun deaths in US, including 27,000 suicides
- In 2022, the United States recorded 21,156 homicides, marking a 6% increase from 2021
- Globally, approximately 464,000 people were homicide victims in 2017, equating to one every 68 seconds
- Latin America and the Caribbean had a regional homicide rate of 20.6 per 100,000 in 2021, the highest globally
- Globally, 120 million girls suffer sexual violence before 20
- In US, 81% sexual assaults unreported
- 1 in 3 women worldwide experience sexual violence lifetime
- Globally, 90% of children exposed to violence witness shootings
- In US, 1.7 million youth witness shootings yearly
- School violence: 75% of shooters aged 10-18
Intimate partner violence and firearms drive much of homicide worldwide, with severe domestic abuse affecting millions.
Related reading
Domestic Violence
1Globally, 55% of homicides in 2017 were by firearm
Verified
2In the US, 34% of female homicide victims in 2021 were killed by an intimate partner
Verified
3Worldwide, 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners
Directional
4In 2020, US intimate partner violence homicides totaled 1,185 women
Verified
51 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence
Directional
6In England and Wales, 97 women killed by partners/ex-partners in 2022/23
Verified
758% of female homicide victims in South Africa killed by intimate partners
Verified
8In Australia, 64 intimate partner homicides in 2021-22, 78% female victims
Verified
9Canada reported 168 intimate partner homicides in 2021
Verified
10In Brazil, 1,463 women killed by partners in 2022
Verified
11India: 13,000+ dowry deaths (domestic violence related) annually
Verified
12In Mexico, 947 women killed by partners in 2022
Verified
13Russia: 1,000 women killed by partners yearly
Verified
14In 2021, 75% of domestic violence homicides in US involved firearms
Verified
15Globally, 137 women killed daily by partner/family
Verified
16In France, 146 feminicides by partners in 2022
Verified
17Spain: 49 women killed by partners/ex in 2023 so far
Single source
18In 2020, 91% of domestic violence victims in India were women
Verified
19US: 10 million adults experience domestic violence yearly
Verified
20In Latin America, 1,914 femicides in 2021, mostly domestic
Verified
21UK: 1.6 million women victim of domestic abuse yearly
Directional
22In 2022, 4,000+ domestic violence homicides globally estimated
Verified
23Australia: 1 in 6 women experience partner violence lifetime
Verified
24In 2021, 50% of US homeless women reported domestic violence
Directional
25Globally, domestic violence costs $1.5 trillion yearly in lost productivity
Directional
26In 2023, Italy recorded 106 feminicides, 55% by partners
Verified
27In 2020, 45% of female homicides in Europe domestic-related
Verified
28US: Black women 4x more likely intimate partner homicide
Verified
29In 2022, 2,500 women killed in India by family/partners
Verified
Domestic Violence Interpretation
The sheer volume of these numbers isn't just a statistic; it's the chilling, global soundtrack of a war being fought in bedrooms and kitchens, where the most common battlefield injury is death at the hands of someone who claimed to love you.
More related reading
Gun Violence
1In 2021, US gun violence killed 48,830, highest on record
Single source
279% of US homicides in 2021 involved firearms
Verified
3In 2022, 44,290 gun deaths in US, including 27,000 suicides
Verified
4Mass shootings in US: 633 in 2023, killing 693
Single source
5Globally, 251,000 gun homicides yearly (2016)
Verified
6US children/teens: 2,590 gun deaths in 2022
Verified
781% of US mass public shooters obtained guns legally
Verified
8In 2021, 20,958 gun murders in US
Verified
9Firearms used in 53% of US intimate partner homicides
Verified
10US gun homicide rate 25x higher than other high-income countries
Verified
11393 million guns in US civilian hands (2018)
Directional
12In 2022, Chicago had 697 gun homicides
Verified
13US: 1.4 million defensive gun uses yearly per CDC estimate
Verified
14Globally, 45% of homicides by guns in Americas vs 4% in Europe
Single source
15In 2023, 656 mass shootings in US by Oct
Single source
16US gun suicides: 54% of all suicides, 26,993 in 2021
Verified
17Brazil: 47,500 gun deaths yearly
Verified
18Mexico: 70% of homicides by firearms in 2022
Verified
19US police kill 1,000+ yearly, 96% by gun
Verified
20In 2022, Philadelphia gun violence: 516 homicides
Single source
21Yemen has 52.8 guns per 100 people, high violence link
Directional
22US Black males aged 15-34: gun homicide rate 103.5 per 100k
Verified
23In 2021, 105,000 Americans shot, 42% fatal
Verified
24Globally, 1.3 million intentional gun injuries yearly
Verified
25US: 4.6 gun deaths per 100,000 kids vs 0.06 in UK
Verified
26In 2022, 240 school gun violence incidents in US
Verified
27US youth (0-19): 4,733 gun deaths in 2021
Verified
28In 2023, 346 school shootings worldwide, 82% in US
Verified
29US students chance of gun death at school: 1 in 614 lifetime
Verified
Gun Violence Interpretation
America has tragically engineered a uniquely efficient and accessible machinery of self-destruction, where the tool intended for self-defense statistically ends more lives in bedrooms, classrooms, and town squares than it ever protects on the street.
More related reading
Homicide Rates
1In 2022, the United States recorded 21,156 homicides, marking a 6% increase from 2021
Verified
2Globally, approximately 464,000 people were homicide victims in 2017, equating to one every 68 seconds
Verified
3Latin America and the Caribbean had a regional homicide rate of 20.6 per 100,000 in 2021, the highest globally
Verified
4In 2020, El Salvador's homicide rate was 19.7 per 100,000, down from previous highs but still among the world's highest
Verified
5The African homicide rate averaged 13.0 per 100,000 population between 2014-2019
Single source
6In 2021, Jamaica reported 1,529 homicides, a rate of 52.9 per 100,000
Verified
7US homicide rate in 2022 was 6.3 per 100,000, up 30% since 2019
Directional
8Venezuela's homicide rate estimated at 36.7 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified
9In Europe, the average homicide rate was 2.2 per 100,000 in 2020
Verified
10South Africa's homicide rate reached 45 per 100,000 in 2022/23
Verified
11Honduras homicide rate fell to 35.1 per 100,000 in 2022 from 93.1 in 2011
Directional
12In 2019, Brazil had 41,635 homicides, rate of 20.9 per 100,000
Verified
13Global male homicide victimization rate was 9.1 per 100,000 vs 2.1 for females in 2017
Verified
14Mexico recorded 33,315 homicides in 2022, rate of 25.8 per 100,000
Verified
15Philippines homicide rate was 4.4 per 100,000 in 2022
Directional
16Russia's homicide rate dropped to 4.7 per 100,000 in 2021
Verified
17In 2020, Colombia had 12,701 homicides, rate of 25.1 per 100,000
Verified
18India's homicide rate stable at 2.1 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified
19Canada's homicide rate was 1.94 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified
20Australia's homicide rate was 0.86 per 100,000 in 2021-22
Verified
21In 2021, Guatemala's homicide rate was 17.4 per 100,000
Single source
22Nigeria estimated homicide rate of 34.5 per 100,000 in 2016 (latest comparable)
Directional
23In 2022, Ecuador saw 4,382 homicides, rate surging to 25.9 per 100,000
Single source
24UK's homicide rate was 1.15 per 100,000 in 2022/23
Verified
25Argentina's homicide rate was 4.6 per 100,000 in 2022
Directional
26In 2020, Peru had 1,046 homicides, rate of 3.2 per 100,000
Single source
27Thailand's homicide rate was 2.6 per 100,000 in 2021
Verified
28In 2022, Panama recorded 511 homicides, rate of 11.9 per 100,000
Verified
29Costa Rica's homicide rate rose to 16.6 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified
30In 2021, Trinidad and Tobago had a homicide rate of 39.5 per 100,000
Verified
Homicide Rates Interpretation
The grim global arithmetic reveals that while all human life is priceless, the statistical price of a life varies wildly by postal code, painting a morbid map where your safety is less a universal right and more a geographic lottery.
More related reading
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
1Globally, 120 million girls suffer sexual violence before 20
Verified
2In US, 81% sexual assaults unreported
Single source
31 in 3 women worldwide experience sexual violence lifetime
Verified
4US: 433,648 sexual assaults yearly
Directional
5In conflict zones, 35% women raped
Verified
6India: 31,677 rape cases reported 2022
Directional
7Globally, 23% men admit perpetrating sexual violence
Verified
8US college women: 1 in 5 assaulted
Verified
9Sub-Saharan Africa: 33% women experienced sexual violence
Directional
10In 2022, UK reported 70,330 rapes, conviction rate 1.5%
Directional
11Globally, 6% boys experience sexual violence before 18
Directional
12US: 91% campus sexual assaults by acquaintances
Single source
13South Africa: 42,289 rapes reported 2022/23
Single source
14In Europe, 5-10% women raped lifetime
Directional
15Brazil: 66,000 rapes reported 2022
Verified
16Globally, child sexual abuse affects 1 in 5 women, 1 in 13 men
Verified
17US military: 1 in 4 women sexually assaulted
Directional
18India: 90% sexual violence unreported
Single source
19In DRC, 22% women raped lifetime
Single source
20US: Native women 2.5x more likely raped
Directional
21Globally, cyber sexual violence affects 16% young women
Verified
22In Australia, 1 in 5 women sexually assaulted post-15
Directional
23Sweden: 9,316 reported rapes 2022
Verified
24In 2021, 50,000 child sex abuse images identified UK
Directional
25Globally, 99% sexual violence impunity
Verified
26US: 70% sexual assaults alcohol-related
Verified
27In Kenya, 32% girls experience sexual violence before 18
Single source
28France: 100,000 rapes yearly estimated
Verified
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Interpretation
This is the horrifying math of a global pandemic where violence against women and girls isn’t the tragic exception, but a calculated, and often unpunished, feature of our world.
More related reading
Youth Violence
1Globally, 90% of children exposed to violence witness shootings
Verified
2In US, 1.7 million youth witness shootings yearly
Verified
3School violence: 75% of shooters aged 10-18
Verified
4US teen homicide rate doubled 2019-2022 to 11.4 per 100k
Verified
5Globally, 36,000 children killed by violence yearly
Single source
6In US, bullying leads to 15% of violent youth incidents
Verified
715% of US high school students carried weapon 2021
Verified
8Latin America: 20% youth homicides regional rate 30+ per 100k
Verified
9In 2022, 1,300 US youth gun homicides under 18
Verified
10Gang violence: 2,000 US youth gang homicides yearly
Verified
11Globally, 245 million children experience violence yearly
Directional
12US: 1 in 5 girls, 1 in 10 boys sexually assaulted before 18
Single source
13School fights: 8% US students in physical fights 2021
Verified
14Africa: Youth violence rate 18.5 per 100k
Verified
15In US, 40% violent youth victimizations unreported
Verified
16Cyberbullying: 37% US youth experienced, links to violence
Directional
17In 2021, 500+ youth suicides linked to bullying violence
Verified
18Brazil: 10,000 youth homicides yearly
Verified
19Europe: Youth violence declining 20% 2010-2020
Verified
20US Native youth homicide 3x national average
Verified
21Globally, violence causes 11% youth deaths
Verified
22In 2022, 82 school shootings US, 147 injured/killed
Verified
2359% US youth feel unsafe at school due to violence
Single source
24Globally, 1 billion children aged 2-17 experienced violence 2022
Verified
25US: 160,000 students skip school fearing attack
Verified
Youth Violence Interpretation
This barrage of statistics paints a horrifyingly clear picture: our global legacy is not one of playgrounds and potential, but a generation being systematically traumatized, injured, and killed, with our own homes and schools often serving as the front lines.
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
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
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
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
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/violence-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/violence-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/violence-statistics.
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