In 2023, civilian casualties in armed conflicts surged by a staggering 72 per cent, the steepest rise since 2015. Despite fewer civilian deaths in some conflict zones, others witnessed significant increases, with 7 in 10 recorded deaths occurring in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2023. For the second consecutive year, the number of civilians killed in conflict rose dramatically, reversing a downward trend from 2016 to 2019. By 2023, civilian casualties had soared to over 33,400, nearing the 2015 peak. Additionally, the number of women killed in conflict increased for the first time since 2015. In 2022, 2 in 10 civilians killed in conflicts were women; 1 in 10 were children. By 2023, 4 in 10 were women and 3 in 10 were children. These alarming figures indicate that the road to global peace and security, essential for sustainable development, has been diverted. The trend must be reversed, conflicts must end, and parties to conflicts must strictly abide by international humanitarian and human rights obligations to protect civilians' lives.

The global homicide rate gradually decreased from 5.9 victims per 100,000 population in 2015 to 5.5 in 2020. This downward trend was disrupted in 2021, when the rate sharply rose to 5.8 before slightly retreating to 5.6 in 2022. The global homicide rate declined by 5 per cent between 2015 and 2022. If this pattern persists, the rate is projected to be 5.1 per 100,000 population by 2030, an overall decrease of just 13 per cent since 2015. The two regions with the highest rates are Latin America and the Caribbean, which is plagued by organized crime and gang activities, and Africa, which has a large youth population, increased incidences of extreme heat and persistent inequality. In 2022, 88,000 women became homicide victims globally compared to 360,000 men.

The global prison population rose from 11.1 million in 2015 to 11.5 million in 2022, a growth rate slower than that of the world population as a whole. Consequently, the prisoner-to-population rate decreased from 150 prisoners per 100,000 population in 2015 to 144 per 100,000 in 2022. Central and Southern Asia had the lowest rates at 54 per 100,000, while Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest at 277 per 100,000.

Access to justice is a fundamental human right. In 2022, however, nearly a third (3.5 million) of the global prison population was held in pre-trial detention, a share that remained stable between 2015 and 2022. While most regions showed some improvements, Central and Southern Asia saw a worrying rise; almost 60 per cent of prisoners was held unsentenced. Overcrowding in prisons operating at over 100 per cent of intended capacity was a concern in half of countries with data. This issue was particularly severe in Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, where over three quarters of countries reported overcrowding. Globally, one in five countries operates prisons at over 150 per cent of intended capacity, with documented harm to health and higher rates of mortality.

Governments across the world have found it difficult to return to pre-COVID-19 levels of budget reliability, in part due to new international challenges impacting economies, including global political instability, inflation and volatile resource prices. Attempts to support economic activity and address social stresses have resulted in higher budget expenditure than originally approved across all regions. Budget reliability improved in 2021 and 2022 compared to 2020 but remained weaker than pre-pandemic levels. Northern Africa and Western Asia, Central and Southern Asia, and Europe and Northern America experienced the highest spending deviations relative to the pre-pandemic period, likely due to factors such as geopolitical tensions, inflation and higher-than-expected revenues. Multiple crises emphasized the need for governments to better prepare for future emergencies.