Acid Attack Statistics by Country 2024

You probably have a visceral reaction to the thought of an acid attack, but it's alarming just how common these vicious attacks are in some countries. So where are these attacks more likely to happen, who is affected most often, and which countries are at the most risk? We're sharing acid attack statistics by country below.

Acid Attack Statistics by Country

The most recent annual acid attack statistics for some countries is from 2018. We've noted the date of these statistics below.

• United Kingdom: 501 acid attacks (ASTI, 2018); 123 in London (Statista, 2019)
• India: 228-1,000 acid attacks (ASTI, 2018)
• Colombia: 100 acid attacks (ASTI, 2018)
• Bangladesh: 91 acid attacks (ASF, 2011)
• Pakistan: 80 acid attacks; 85% in Punjab (ASTI, 2018)
• Uganda: 35 acid attacks (ASTI, 2018)
• Cambodia: >10 acid attacks (ASTI, 2018)

Overall, there were somewhere between 1,040 and 1,817 acid attacks reported from countries around the world. This number is disturbing, but on the decline. The United Kingdom saw the most acid attacks between 2011-2016 in London, followed by Northumbria and Cambridgeshire. India's rising number of acid attacks is believed to be vastly underreported. While 2018 statistics showed 228 incidents, researchers believe there were more than 1,000. Colombia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Cambodia have seen steep declines in the number of attacks. This may be due to harsher sentencing and punishment for perpetrators.

Acid Attack Statistics by Gender

The Acid Survivors Trust International found that around 80% of acid attack victims are women and most of these attacks are perpetrated by men in domestic violence situations. The gender statistics of these attacks differ by country, however, and some regions of the world see more attacks on men than women. From 2011-2016, the United Kingdom saw more than twice as many acid attacks on men than women. In Africa, the most recent statistics show that 43-60% of acid attacks were on men. Cambodia's statistics show roughly 50% of acid attack victims were male. India and Colombia's statistics are very different and historically, most attacks there are on women and girls. The availability of corrosive liquids like acid and kerosene make these substances very easy for perpetrators to access and use against victims.

Organizations, like Acid Survivors Trust International, that focus on lowering the number of acid attacks around the world have lobbied for stricter purchasing rules and legislation that makes punishment harsher for attacks using acid or similar substances.