UN fatalities 1948–2015: A new dataset

This article presents a new dataset on UN peacekeeping fatalities that occurred during 1948–2015. The data includes five types of fatality counts: total fatalities, fatalities caused by accidents, illness, malicious acts (i.e. hostile deaths) and a fourth category marked “other incident types.” For every UN operation during 1948–2015, data on the number of these four types of UN fatalities are coded at the yearly as well as monthly level. The monthly data also indicate the nationality as well as the appointment type (troop, police, observer, local or international staff) of the deceased. This dataset is the first of its kind. It offers new opportunities for research on important aspects of UN peacekeeping. Herein, I introduce the data, provide details on the coding process and present trends and an empirical application.