Knives and other sharp objects were the weapon of choice in 97,183 homicides in 2017, representing a devastating 22% of global homicides, as per the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime's 2019 Global Study on Homicide. This statistic lays bare the multifaceted nature of the global homicide landscape, with the choice of weapon varying significantly from region to region. Irrespective of the socio-economic status, geopolitical location, or overall safety ranking of a given country, the frequency of knife-related violence emerges as a common bane affecting all regions.
Key findings from the data include: