The Calm Before the Storm: Global Violent Deaths Update 2019–2020

'Though difficult to fathom as war rages in Ukraine, the years preceding the Russian invasion actually saw a reduction in global lethal violence. According to the latest update of the Small Arms Survey's Global Violent Deaths (GVD) database, loss of life resulting from interpersonal violence decreased substantially between 2016 and 2020. This decline suggests that the world has been making progress towards Target 16.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), under which states committed to 'significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere' by 2030. Yet the impact of ongoing conflicts such as in Ukraine, as well as recent increases in homicides in some countries, risk reversing this positive trend in coming years...'

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And check out our infographic for an overview of the main numbers and trends.