Sources & Global Observatories

Scientific Framework & Ethics

Death in Numbers treats fatality with the coldness of a scalpel and the exactitude of arithmetic. Every statistic stems from official research organizations, certified archives, and public institutions. This registry centralizes our reference sources as well as help lines and crisis support services.

Assistance, Crisis Support & Prevention

Are you or someone close to you going through a difficult time?

Speaking out is the first step. Trained and supportive listeners are available free of charge, anonymously, 24/7.

Global Directory (findahelpline.com) ↗

  • [AT] Austria: 142 (Telefonseelsorge Österreich) — suicidal crisis
  • [AU] Australia: 13 11 14 (Lifeline) — 24/7
  • [BE] Belgium: 1813 (Zelfmoordlijn 1813) — FR: 107 / Télé-Accueil 02 478 48 48
  • [BR] Brazil: 188 (CVV — Centro de Valorização da Vida) — 24/7
  • [CA] Canada: 988 (Suicide Crisis Helpline, bilingual) — EN+FR; Quebec: 1-866-APPELLE
  • [CH] Switzerland: 143 (La Main Tendue / Die Dargebotene Hand) — 24/7
  • [DE] Germany: 0800 111 0 111 (Telefonseelsorge) — also 0800 111 0 222
  • [ES] Spain: 024 (Línea de atención al riesgo suicida) — 24/7
  • [FR] France: 3114 (National Suicide Prevention Number) — free, anonymous, 24/7
  • [GB] United Kingdom: 116 123 (Samaritans) — 24/7
  • [IE] Ireland: 116 123 (Samaritans) — 24/7
  • [NL] Netherlands: 0900 113 0113 (113 Zelfmoordpreventie) — 0800-0113
  • [US] United States: 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) — 24/7, call or text

Certified data • Ministry of Health & National Emergency Networks • Confidential & free call

Criminology & Justice Observatories

Intentional homicides, organized crime, cartels, and judicial statistics.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

  • Scope: International (UN)
  • Description: Universal benchmark for intentional homicide rates, organized crime, and illicit trafficking.
  • Key metric: ★ Global Study on Homicide
  • Official portal

Service Statistique Ministériel de la Sécurité Intérieure (SSMSI)

  • Scope: France
  • Description: Official data from the French National Police and Gendarmerie: homicides, violence, and criminal offenses.
  • Key metric: ★ Base État 4001 & Security Overviews
  • Official portal

FBI Crime Data Explorer (FBI CDE)

  • Scope: United States
  • Description: Federal UCR/NIBRS system cataloging American homicides, serial offenders, and criminal offenses.
  • Key metric: ★ Uniform Crime Reporting
  • Official portal

InSight Crime

  • Scope: Americas / Global
  • Description: Specialized observatory investigating and mapping organized crime and cartels.
  • Key metric: ★ Homicide Round-Up Americas
  • Official portal

Epidemiological & Global Health Observatories

Medical causes of death, morbidity, pandemics, and epidemiological transitions.

World Health Organization — GHO (WHO / OMS)

  • Scope: International (UN)
  • Description: Universal health data: global causes of death, epidemics, life expectancy, and infant mortality.
  • Key metric: ★ Global Health Observatory
  • Official portal

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME / GBD)

  • Scope: University of Washington / Global
  • Description: The world's most comprehensive assessment of mortality and disability caused by over 370 diseases.
  • Key metric: ★ Global Burden of Disease
  • Official portal

CépiDc — Inserm & Santé publique France

  • Scope: France
  • Description: Epidemiology center on medical causes of death in France (official death certificates).
  • Key metric: ★ National Mortality Statistics
  • Official portal

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

  • Scope: European Union
  • Description: European epidemiological surveillance on infectious diseases and biosecurity.
  • Key metric: ★ Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases
  • Official portal

Our World in Data — Causes of Death (OWID)

  • Scope: Oxford University / Global
  • Description: Rigorous scientific summaries and longitudinal visualizations of human causes of death.
  • Key metric: ★ Long-run Mortality Datasets
  • Official portal

Armed Conflicts, Wars & Disaster Observatories

Wars, military and civilian casualties, earthquakes, and historical cataclysms.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

  • Scope: International
  • Description: Independent reference data on armed conflicts, military expenditures, and nuclear arsenals.
  • Key metric: ★ SIPRI Arms & Conflict Database
  • Official portal

Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP)

  • Scope: Uppsala University (Sweden)
  • Description: Certified academic database tracking violent deaths across all armed conflicts since 1946.
  • Key metric: ★ Georeferenced Event Dataset (GED)
  • Official portal

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)

  • Scope: Global
  • Description: Real-time tracking of armed clashes, bombings, and political violence worldwide.
  • Key metric: ★ Real-time Conflict Tracker
  • Official portal

Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (EM-DAT / CRED)

  • Scope: Université catholique de Louvain
  • Description: Universal database of major natural and technological disasters since 1900.
  • Key metric: ★ Emergency Events Database
  • Official portal

DIN Methodological Protocol

Historical and epidemiological fatality figures sometimes diverge depending on governments and analytical methodologies. In accordance with the DIN charter, we systematically favor peer-reviewed academic consensus and certified physical registries. Where disagreement persists, the documented estimation range is explicitly stated.

DIN Ethical Code — Rigor & Transparency

Consult documented articles →