Violence

Violence is a global phenomenon resulting in the deaths of more than 1.6 million people each year, making it one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

While no country is untouched by violence, the vast majority of its resultant deaths occur in low- to middle-income countries, many of which are stricken with internal conflicts. However, it should be kept in mind that violent deaths cannot simply be attributed to war, and more than 80% of such deaths occur outside of armed conflicts.

Violence has also shown to be an incredibly costly issue, and in 2015 alone the total impact of violence to the world economy was estimated at $13.6 trillion – a figure which is equivalent to 13.3% of world GDP.

Violence has become increasingly interpersonal and tied in with criminal activity, particularly in urban areas. According to the UN's Global Study on Homicide, intentional homicide was the cause of the deaths of almost half a million people across the world in 2012.