WHO Statistics on Violence

The World Health Organization published a report in 2002 that provided responsibly calculated statistics regarding the prevalence of violence and violence-related mortality in the world. Links to the summary and full report are here

-During the 20th century, an estimated 191 million people lost their lives due to armed combat (well over half were civilian noncombatants).

-Over 1.6 million people per year worldwide lose their lives to violence.

-During the war in Bosnia, approximately 10-60,000 women were raped.

In the year 2000 alone:
-An estimated 199,000 youths died as a result of violence
-An estimated 57,000 children were murdered
-An estimated 1,659,000 people died from suicide, war & homicide combined
-An estimated 1,510,000 people in low-income countries died as a result of violence (91% of violence victims are from low-income countries)
-An estimated 149,000 people in high income countries died as a result of violence (9% of violence fatalities worldwide)
-An estimated 520,000 people were killed as a result of interpersonal violence
-An estimated 815,000 people killed themselves, making suicide the 13th leading cause of death
-An estimated 310,000 people died of injuries from armed combat