World Suffering Index

Measuring human suffering
to help reduce it

We estimate the scale of suffering across events to help people compare their human impact, recognize overlooked harm, and inform decisions about where to focus attention and support.

We use a proposed measure called the Universal Suffering Unit (USU). One USU represents the modeled pain of a six-hour reference kidney-stone episode. Our estimates combine how many people suffer, how intensely and for how long. Case counts and death tolls alone cannot capture all three dimensions.

Explore events How the estimates work

Early estimates of selected experiences · Reported deaths shown separately

Event list

We’re actively adding events and broadening the types of suffering covered.

10 events sorted by estimated USU, highest first.

Selected event estimates under event list method v0.3. Deaths are separate from USU. Different reporting periods and populations are labeled in each row.
Event / included experienceCategoryPeriod / coverageEstimated USUReported deathsPopulation modeledDetails
Pakistan floodsInitial displacement distress Natural disaster 7 Oct 2022 · population snapshot 240.8 million At least 1,700Whole flood event, as reported 7 Oct About 7.9 milliondisplaced people Report
Brazil dengueAcute dengue symptoms Disease outbreak 2024 · weeks 1–23 59.9 million 3,643Same reporting period 7.87 millionreported cases Report
Rio Grande do Sul floodsInitial displacement distress Natural disaster 24 May 2024 · cohort snapshot 17.7 million 163Whole flood event, as of 24 May About 580,000displaced people Report
Mozambique floodsDistress in accommodation centres Natural disaster 29 Jan 2026 · centre snapshot 3.1 million Not availableNot given in selected report Over 100,730people in 112 centres Report
Peru dengueAcute dengue symptoms Disease outbreak 2024 · weeks 1–23 1.9 million 207Source discrepancy: summary says 203 249,843reported cases Report
Paraguay chikungunyaAcute chikungunya symptoms Disease outbreak 1 Oct 2022 – 11 Mar 2023 1.3 million 52Probable / confirmed subset 81,037reported cases Report
Mexico dengueAcute dengue symptoms Disease outbreak 2024 · weeks 1–23 0.64 million 26Same reporting period 83,997reported cases Report
Bangladesh dengueAcute dengue symptoms Disease outbreak 1 Jan – 7 Aug 2023 0.53 million 327Same reporting period 69,483lab-confirmed cases Report
DR Congo EbolaAcute Bundibugyo Ebola illness Disease outbreak Through 7 Sep 2026 0.24 million 3,267Confirmed-case population 6,757confirmed cases Report
Nepal floodsDistress in displacement sites Natural disaster 4–9 Sep 2026 · site snapshot 0.11 million 1,367Broader flood event, same report 3,629people in 37 sites Report

USU estimates are approximate and assumption-based. They cover selected experiences, not every consequence of an event. Deaths remain separate. Read the method and assumptions.

Download event list CSVDownload inputs & assumptionsWhat is one USU?

The method

How we estimate suffering

Universal Suffering Units (USU) put an assumed intensity and duration alongside the number of people or episodes reported. Every condition uses one representative course, with its choices explained in the report.

USU = count × average days × 24 × average intensity ÷ 47.25

One USU is a stipulated six-hour kidney-stone pain reference, totaling 47.25 intensity-hours. The scale is a convention; exact intensity assignments remain judgments.

Follow a calculation

Every report shows the source count, assumed course and arithmetic behind its headline.

See the Brazil dengue calculation →

Understand the assumptions

Each condition uses the same assumptions across events, with the reasoning explained in every report.

Explore the common method →

Further reading

Understand the numbers

Our background guides explain the statistics used to describe suffering. They cover broader topics and different reporting periods; they are not the event estimates above.

All background guides →