Sanctions as Deadly as War: New Study Reveals Global Health Toll

A groundbreaking study published in The Lancet Global Health has revealed that economic sanctions kill more people annually than armed conflicts, challenging long-held assumptions about their humanitarian impact.

Key Findings

• Annual Death Toll: Unilateral economic sanctions are linked to 564,000 excess deaths each year, a figure comparable to global war casualties.
• Most Affected: Children under five account for 51% of sanctions-related deaths, while older adults (60–80 years) also face heightened mortality risks.
• Scope of Analysis: Researchers examined 152 countries over five decades (1971–2021), using advanced econometric techniques to establish a causal link between sanctions and mortality.
• Type of Sanctions: The deadliest effects stem from unilateral sanctions, particularly those imposed by the US and EU. In contrast, UN sanctions showed no significant mortality impact, likely due to humanitarian exemptions.
• Sanctions have substantial adverse effects on public health, with a death toll similar to that of wars. Our findings underscore the need to rethink sanctions as a foreign-policy tool, highlighting the importance of exercising restraint in their use and seriously considering efforts to reform their design.
• Sanctions can lead to reductions in the quantity and quality of public health provision driven by sanctions-induced declines in public revenues;³ decreased availability of essential imports, resulting from sanctions-induced reductions in foreign exchange earnings, which limit access to medical supplies, food, and other crucial goods

Why It Matters

The study underscores that sanctions—often perceived as a “non-violent” alternative to military force—carry lethal consequences for civilians, especially vulnerable age groups. Researchers argue that sanctions should be rethought as a foreign policy tool, calling for reforms to minimise harm.

“It is immoral and indefensible that such a lethal form of collective punishment continues to be used,” said co-author Mark Weisbrot, emphasising that sanctions are widely misunderstood as benign measures.

Sanctions are not just economic weapons—they are public health crises in disguise. With mortality rates rivaling those of wars, the report urges policymakers to exercise restraint and prioritise humanitarian considerations.