How many people are killed or injured by mines or cluster munitions?

Landmines 

2017 was the third year in a row with exceptionally high numbers of recorded casualties due to landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), including improvised landmines, as well as unexploded cluster submunitions, and other explosive remnants of war (ERW)—henceforth mines/ERW. 

Casualties in 2017 were identified in 49 countries, of which 35 are States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, and in four other areas. The vast majority of casualties, 87%, were civilians and 47% were children. Since global tracking began in 1999 the Monitor has recorded more than 122,000 mine/ERW casualties. 

Of the total of 7239 mine/ERW casualties the Monitor recorded for 2017, at least 2,793 people were killed and another 4,431 people were injured; for 15 casualties, it was not known if the person survived or was killed. This marked another year of continued increase, which in 2016 was largely a result of more mine/ERW casualties recorded in countries experiencing armed conflict. The casualty total in 2016 is the second highest of all years in Monitor data except for 1999—the first year of Monitor recording. It also marked the highest number of casualties caused by improvised mines on record for the Monitor.

Cluster Munitions

The Monitor recorded a total of 149 cluster munition casualties during calendar year 2018. These casualties occurred in eight countries and one other area. This was the lowest annual casualty count since 2012, when the Monitor started recording cluster munition casualties from new use in Syria. The total of 149 casualties recorded in 2018 represents a continuing decrease from 289 casualties in 2017 and moreover, marked a significant drop from the 971 cluster munition casualties recorded in 2016.

During the 10-year period of Cluster Munition Monitor reporting 2009–2018, 4,128 new cluster munition casualties were recorded in 17 countries and three other areas. The vast majority of new casualties, 3,343, recorded through that time occurred in Syria as the result of new use—including attacks and contamination by cluster munition remnants.

Various estimates for casualties in cluster munition-affected countries globally since the 1960s are roughly between 56,000 and 86,000. The present total of recorded cluster munition casualties is 21,764 from cluster munition remnants and from attacks in 34 countries and three other areas.

(Last updated based on Landmine Monitor 2018 and Cluster Munition Monitor 2019)