Global Violent Deaths (GVD)
The Small Arms Survey tracks statistics on violent deaths and compiles them in its Global Violent Deaths (GVD) database.
Within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), states have pledged to ‘[p]romote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels’ (SDG 16). The first target identified under this goal, Target 16.1, commits all states to ‘[s]ignificantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere'.
The GVD database, updated annually, provides a tool for assessing progress in implementing Target 16.1. It contains data starting from 2004 and includes datasets on direct conflict deaths, homicides, and violent deaths by firearms—including the prevalence of firearms-related killings of women, as well as figures for women victims of lethal violence more generally.
The database has served as the backbone for a series of outputs and publications, including:
- Still Not There: Global Violent Deaths Scenarios, 2019–30. Briefing Paper, February 2021.
- A Missing Mandate? Casualty Recording in UN Peace Operations. Briefing Paper, June 2020.
- Gender Counts: Assessing Global Armed Violence Datasets for Gender Relevance. Briefing Paper, March 2020.
- Darkening Horizons: Global Violent Deaths Scenarios, 2018–30. Briefing Paper, 2019.
- Global Violent Deaths 2017: Time to Decide. Report, 2017.
- Global Burden of Armed Violence reports (2008, 2011, 2015).
- See a snapshot of the latest data—for 2018—in this infographic.
Visit our Resource Library for more on GVD.
Download the full database here or navigate our interactive map below for a quick overview of country-by-country numbers.