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[goal: 16] is about advancing just, peaceful, and inclusive societies and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions. The importance of safeguarding human life from violence has been recognized through [target: 16.1] which calls for significantly reducing all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. In addition to the lives lost, homicide and armed conflict erode trust among citizens, undermine development efforts, and result in lost economic output.
Deaths from homicide
Every year hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are victims of homicide. Data on intentional homicide [footnote: Intentional homicide is defined as the unlawful killing of a person by another person where the intent of the perpetrator was to kill or seriously injure the victim. Intentional homicide is different from killings due to self-defense, reckless or negligent actions, armed conflict, and self-inflicted deaths.] is used to monitor violent deaths and is one of the indicators used to measure progress towards [target: 16.1].
Between 2010 and 2020, the global homicide rate fell slightly, from 6 victims to 5.6 victims per 100,000 people.
The homicide rate in the Latin America & the Caribbean region is much higher than in any other part of the world (20 per 100,000 people), followed by Sub-Saharan Africa. The rate in Latin America has declined in recent years. It has been increasing in North America since 2019.
Among all countries reporting, Jamaica had the highest incidence of homicide (47 victims per 100,000 people) in 2020. Other places with high rates include Honduras, South Africa, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela and Mexico).
You can search for a specific country using the search box
Source: [link: https://www.unodc.org/ UNODC], World Development Indicators ([link: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.P5 VC.IHR.PSRC.P5])
In Latin America & the Caribbean, gang-related violence is one of the main drivers of the high homicide rates. In these areas, both the victims and the perpetrators tend to be young men from disadvantaged backgrounds.[reference: UNODC. [link: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/global-study-on-homicide.html Global Study on Homicide 2019]]
The global homicide rate has declined over the last decade. However, due to population growth, the total number of victims rose from approximately 421,000 in 2010 to 437,000 in 2020.
The regions with the highest homicide rates have a disproportionate number of victims compared with their population size: around 30 percent of all intentional homicides take place in Latin America & the Caribbean (a region with 8 percent of the global population). Sub-Saharan Africa has almost 40 percent of global homicides (and 15 percent of the world’s population).
The global homicide rate saw a slight increase in 2020 after years of decline.
In a few countries, the homicide rate changed significantly in the first year of the pandemic
Intentional homicide: change in rate and total number of victims (2019-2020)
Source: [link: https://www.unodc.org/ UNODC], World Development Indicators ([link: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.P5 VC.IHR.PSRC.P5])
The homicide rate was stable in most countries in 2020. However, a few places experienced pronounced increases or declines.
This chart shows the [emphasis: changes] in [emphasis: homicide rates (vertical axis)] and in the number of [emphasis: total homicides (horizontal axis)] that took place in the first year of the pandemic (2020) compared with the year before (2019). In the United States, the homicide rate went up by almost 30 percent from 2019 to 2020 (from 5 to 6.4 victims per 100,000). The country had the [emphasis: largest increase in the number of fatalities] (close to 5,000 additional victims) in the first year of the pandemic.
You can explore changes in other countries by hovering over the chart
Source: [link: https://www.unodc.org/ UNODC], World Development Indicators ([link: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.P5 VC.IHR.PSRC.P5])
The gender dimension of homicide
In most countries with available data, the male intentional homicide rate [footnote: Male victims of intentional homicide (rate per 100,000 population)] is higher than the female rate. Globally, the male homicide rate (9 victims per 100,000) is more than four times the rate for women (2 per 100,000).
The male homicide rate is higher in most countries
Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people), by gender, 2020
Source: [link: https://www.unodc.org/ UNODC], World Development Indicators ([link: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.FE.P5 VC.IHR.PSRC.FE.P5]), ([link: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.MA.P5 VC.IHR.PSRC.MA.P5])
Among 107 countries where gender disaggregated data is available, 97 countries have a higher male homicide rate.
The countries where the female rate is higher (Austria, Iceland, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Macao SAR China, Singapore, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Vanuatu) have total homicide rates far below the global average.
In Latin America & Caribbean, where the overall level of homicide is high, the gap between male and female rates tends to be large.
Source: [link: https://www.unodc.org/ UNODC], World Development Indicators ([link: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.FE.P5 VC.IHR.PSRC.FE.P5]), ([link: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.MA.P5 VC.IHR.PSRC.MA.P5])
As a result, men account for most homicide victims. In 2020, the number of male victims was 359,000 – more than 80 percent of the worldwide total.
Additionally , far more men are arrested/suspected of intentional homicide than women. In countries where data is available, men account for approximately 80 percent of those arrested/suspected.
Causes of death and interpersonal violence
Looking at data on causes of death is another way to see how and where violence inflicts the greatest harm (outside of war situations). Interpersonal violence is defined by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation as “death from intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, from another person or group not including military or police forces”.[reference: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, [link: https://www.healthdata.org/gbd Global Burden of Diseases]]
Globally, slightly more than 4 percent of deaths between the ages of 15-49 resulted from [emphasis: interpersonal violence] in 2019 (latest data). Of total deaths due to interpersonal violence in this age range, 86 percent were men and 14 percent were women.
In Latin America & Caribbean interpersonal violence accounted for about 20 percent of all deaths for people aged 15-49, the highest among regions. The second highest was North America at 5.7 percent.
In Honduras, for example, 28 percent of the fatalities in the 15-49 age group in 2019 were the result of interpersonal violence.
You can explore the country data using the search function.
Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, [link: https://www.healthdata.org/gbd Global Burden of Diseases]
The death toll caused by war and conflict is another consequence of violence on society. This is also measured as part [target: 16.1].
War and conflict
War inflicts suffering due to lives lost, but also causes severe damage to economies and infrastructure, setting back progress in all areas of development.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) keeps track of fatalities from organized violent events, which are defined as deaths resulting from battles, explosions/remote violence, and violence against civilians.[reference: [link: https://acleddata.com/acleddatanew/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ACLED_Codebook_v1_January-2021.pdf Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) Codebook]] The map below shows fatalities resulting from conflict (organized violent events) for each year between 2018 and 2022.
In [emphasis: 2018] almost 43,000 people died in Afghanistan as a result of organized violent events, and over the course of five years (2018-2022) more than 160,000 people lost their lives.
In [emphasis: 2019] close to 28,000 fatalities were reported in Yemen. The conflict in the country has claimed numerous victims over the years (over 100,000 reported fatalities between 2018 and 2022, according to ACLED). The UN estimates that the war in Yemen claimed about 377,000 lives between 2014 and 2021, with more than 60 percent of these deaths resulting from shortages of food, water, and medical care. [reference: UNDP. 2021.[link: https://www.undp.org/yemen/publications/assessing-impact-war-yemen-pathways-recovery Assessing the Impact of the War in Yemen: Pathways for Recovery]]
In [emphasis: 2020] more than 8,000 fatalities were reported in Syria stemming from organized violent events. According to the UN Human Rights Office, more than 300,000 civilians have died in the last decade in the conflict in Syria.[reference: [link: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/06/un-human-rights-office-estimates-more-306000-civilians-were-killed-over-10 UN Human Rights Office of the High Comissioner]]
High levels of fatalities from organized violent events have also been reported in Mexico and Nigeria.
In 2022 the largest number of reported fatalities was in Ukraine (over 32,000), this followed Russia’s invasion which began in February. Other countries with a high number of casualties that year included Myanmar (19,000), Nigeria (11,000), and Mexico (8,000).
Source: [link: https://acleddata.com/ ACLED]
Impact of the war in Ukraine
Since Russia’s invasion launched in February 2022, Ukraine has suffered a high human and economic toll. More than 32,000 fatalities have been documented in the first year of the war.[reference: [link: https://acleddata.com/ ACLED]]
Over eight million people have fled Ukraine for other countries across Europe.[footnote: These refugees have also been located elsewhere, including the United States.][reference: [link: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine UNHCR]]
The country’s economy contracted by more than 30 percent in 2022. It is estimated that an additional seven million Ukrainians (of a population of 44 million) were pushed into poverty in 2022, undermining more than 15 years of progress in poverty reduction.[reference: [link: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/ukraine/overview The World Bank - Ukraine]]
Fragile and conflict-affected situations
Countries experiencing violent conflict or grappling with institutional and social fragility face severe difficulties in addressing important development challenges, such as ending extreme poverty, combating climate change, and protecting the most vulnerable members of society.[reference: The World Bank [link: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/3c335532-5484-51a4-a16f-78399ab2f025 Fragility, Conflict & Violence ]]
As of 2022, a total of 37 countries or territories (with approximately one billion people) were classified as fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS) by the World Bank. These economies face high levels of institutional and social fragility or are affected by violent conflict.[reference: [link: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/fragilityconflictviolence/brief/harmonized-list-of-fragile-situations Classification of Fragility and Conflict Situations for World Bank Group Engagement]] More than two-thirds of these economies (25 out of 37) are in Sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East & North Africa.
Almost a billion people live in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS)
Number of people living in FCS
Source: World Bank. [link: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/fragilityconflictviolence/brief/harmonized-list-of-fragile-situations Classification of Fragility and Conflict Situations for World Bank Group Engagement]
More than 40 percent of people living in extreme poverty are in countries with fragile and conflict-affected situations, and by the end of the decade, this is expected to grow to almost 60 percent. [reference: Corral, Paul; Irwin, Alexander; Krishnan, Nandini; Mahler, Daniel Gerszon; Vishwanath, Tara. 2020. [link: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/3c335532-5484-51a4-a16f-78399ab2f025 Fragility and Conflict: On the Front Lines of the Fight against Poverty] Washington, DC: World Bank. (updated data as of February 2023)]
By the end of the decade, extreme poverty will be concentrated in fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS)
Poverty trends in FCS and other economies, 2000-30
Source: World Bank. [link: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/3c335532-5484-51a4-a16f-78399ab2f025 Fragility and Conflict: On the Front Lines of the Fight against Poverty] Washington, DC: World Bank. (updated data as of February 2023)]
According to the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects report, food insecurity doubled from 46 million in 2019 to 91 million in 2022 for those currently living in low-income countries that also classify as fragile situations.[reference: World Bank Group [link: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/59695a57-f323-5fa8-8c6f-d58bfa8918cd Global Economic Prospects (January 2023)]]
The price of many food staples has increased as a result of the pandemic and trade restrictions stemming from the war in Ukraine. Those most impacted by food insecurity have been those displaced or difficult to reach in conflict situations. The impact can be especially dire on children, as prolonged malnutrition can have severe impacts on mental and physical development.
In poor countries most people facing food insecurity are in fragile or conflict affected situations
Number of people facing food insecurity in low income countries
Source: World Bank Group,[link: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/59695a57-f323-5fa8-8c6f-d58bfa8918cd Global Economic Prospects (January 2023)]]
Through years of ongoing conflict, Yemen has been suffering from one of the most dire food emergencies in the world. Approximately 17 million people (about half the country’s population) are facing food insecurity or emergency. In some areas of the country, as many as two thirds of people suffer from inadequate food consumption.[footnote: Inadequate food consumption is defined as the percent of households with a [link: https://resources.vam.wfp.org/data-analysis/quantitative/food-security/food-consumption-score Food Consumption Score] (FCS) ≤42][reference: [link: https://dataviz.vam.wfp.org/version2/reports/yemen/yemen-food-security-and-market-monitoring-dec-2022 The World Food Programme]] Macroeconomic crises, volatile food prices, flooding and drought have compounded the crisis.
Violence and conflict exact a heavy toll in terms of casualties, economic losses, displaced people, as well as daily insecurities and deprivations. The impact of violence is often disproportionately distributed amongst the most vulnerable, including women, children, or the elderly. Reducing violence helps improve social cohesion and increase people's trust in institutions and in each other, making positive development outcomes easier to achieve.
Learn more about SDG 16
In the charts below you can find more facts about SDG {activeGoal} targets, which are not covered in this story. The data for these graphics is derived from official UN data sources.
SDG target 16.a
Many National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) worldwide are not fully compliant with the Paris Principles.
Existence of independent NHRIs in compliance with the Paris Principles by accreditation status, 2021
* The [link: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/principles-relating-status-national-institutions-paris Paris Principles] are internationally recognized standards used to evaluate the credibility, independence, and effectiveness of national human rights institutions.
Source: United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Retrieved from [link: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal/database UN SDG Portal (16.a)]. DOWNLOAD
SDG target 16.5.2
Bribery is more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, but variation exists within income groups.
Bribery incidence (% of firms experiencing at least one bribe payment request), most recent value in 2017-21
Source: World Bank. Retrieved from World Development Indicators ([link: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IC.FRM.BRIB.ZS IC.FRM.BRIB.ZS]). DOWNLOAD