Short answers, pulled from the story.
The global economic impact of violence and conflict reached 17.5 trillion dollars in 2024. This figure includes the cost of healthcare, lost productivity, and the destruction of infrastructure. The total economic impact of violence on the world economy dwarfs the GDP of most nations on Earth.
The World Health Organization defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or a group. This definition results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation. The definition captures the full spectrum of human aggression from self-inflicted wounds to collective state violence.
Between 1976 and 2008, African Americans were victims of 329,825 homicides. This figure illustrates the disproportionate burden of violence on specific communities. The average person living in a conflict-affected country had a risk of dying violently in the conflict of about 2.0 per 100,000 population between 2004 and 2007.
The World Health Organization estimates that between 15 and 71% of women report experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. Approximately 20% of women and 5 to 10% of men report being sexually abused as children. These figures reveal the pervasive nature of violence in the most private of spaces.
Suicide was the 16th leading cause of death worldwide in 2004 and is projected to increase to the 12th in 2030. Suicide rates have traditionally been highest among the male elderly, but rates among young people are now the group at highest risk in a third of countries. Suicide attempts are up to 20 times more frequent than suicide.
The World Health Organization has identified seven strategies to prevent violence including developing safe relationships, reducing access to weapons, and promoting gender equality. The organization published the World report on violence and health in 2002 to support these evidence-based interventions. The public health sector has begun to address violence globally only in the last 15 years.