The UN launches on Wednesday its "decade for action" on road safety to cut the 1.3 million deaths on the road each year.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), road traffic accidents kill more people around the world than malaria, and are the leading cause of death for young people aged five to 29 – especially in developing countries. Each year up to 50 million people are injured in traffic accidents, globally.

"Road traffic crashes are a public health and development crisis," says WHO director general Margaret Chan. "Every day, road traffic crashes claim nearly 3,500 lives and injure many thousands more. The vast majority of those affected are young people in developing countries."

The economic consequences are also significant: According to the WHO, car crashes cost the world more than $500bn each year. And the WHO warns that accidents on the road are also a leading cause of disability worldwide.

In advance of the summit on the millennium development goals (MDGs) in New York last September, campaigners argued that the figures on road deaths worldwide should serve as a "global wake-up call". But while traffic accidents are dramatic, road safety is not seen as the most pressing development issue. Through its decade for action, the UN aims to change that, hoping to aggressively mobilise interest and action around improving the world's roads. By 2020, the UN hopes to have reduced road deaths by 50%.

So where are the world's most dangerous roads? Which countries are hardest hit? To mark the launch of the UN decade, we've pulled out the most recent data on traffic deaths and injuries, from the 2009 Global status report on road safety. We've included both the data on the reported number of traffic deaths per country and the WHO's estimates of what the actual numbers are (the WHO is currently updating its figures).

Some highlights from the data:

• while low and middle-income countries are home to less than 50% of the world's registered vehicles, 90% of the world's road traffic deaths occur in developing countries

• India has the highest absolute number of recorded road deaths (105,725), followed by China (96,611), the US (42,642) and Russia (35,972). In comparison, the UK has 3,298 recorded road deaths

• when you look at recorded road deaths proportional to a country's population, the Cook Islands comes out on top (45.0 road deaths per 100,000 people), followed by Libya (34.7), South Africa (33.2) and Iran (32.2)

• according to WHO estimates, Eritrea is home to the highest concentration of road deaths (48.4 per 100,000 people), followed by the Cook Islands, Egypt and Libya.

Note: The WHO is set to release updated data on road traffic accidents around the world in 2012. It will also add new statistics, such as the number of people who arrive at hospitals via ambulance, and the number of people who suffer disabilities after traffic accidents.

The full data is below. What can you do with it?

Data summary

Road Accidents around the World Click heading to sort Country GNI per capita ($US 2007) Road deaths (reported) Road deaths per 100,000 (reported) Road deaths (estimated) Road deaths per 100,000 (estimated) Afghanistan 319 1779 6.6 10593 39.0 Albania 3290 499 15.6 445 13.9 Angola 2560 2358 13.9 6425 37.7 Argentina 6050 5281 13.4 5427 13.7 Armenia 2640 371 12.4 417 13.9 Australia 35960 1616 7.8 1616 7.8 Austria 42700 691 8.3 691 8.3 Azerbaijan 2550 1195 14.1 1099 13.0 Bahamas (the) 18570 48 14.5 48 14.5 Bahrain 20610 91 12.1 91 12.1 Bangladesh 470 4108 2.6 20038 12.6 Barbados 11290 36 12.2 36 12.2 Belarus 4220 1517 15.7 1517 15.7 Belgium 40710 1067 10.2 1067 10.2 Belize 3800 65 22.6 45 15.6 Benin 570 653 7.2 2815 31.2 Bhutan 1770 111 16.9 95 14.4 Bolivia 1260 1394 14.6 1594 16.7 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3790 428 10.9 428 10.9 Botswana 5840 482 25.6 636 33.8 Brazil 5910 35155 18.3 35155 18.3 British Virgin Islandsh 43686 5 21.7 5 21.7 Brunei Darussalam 30580 54 13.8 54 13.8 Bulgaria 4590 1006 13.2 1006 13.2 Burkina Faso 430 804 5.4 4595 31.1 Burundi 110 63 0.7 1989 23.4 Cambodia 540 1668 11.5 1749 12.1 Cameroon 1050 1069 5.8 5206 28.1 Canada 39420 2889 8.8 2889 8.8 Cape Verde 2430 49 9.2 133 25.1 Central African Republic (the) 380 565 13.0 1399 32.2 Chad 540 814 7.6 3696 34.3 Chile 8350 2280 13.7 2280 13.7 China 2360 96611 7.2 220783 16.5 Colombia 3250 5409 11.7 5409 11.7 Comoros (the) 680 15 1.8 254 30.3 Congo (the) 1540 207 5.5 1084 28.8 Cook Islands 13098 6 45.0 6 45.0 Costa Rica 5560 688 15.4 688 15.4 Croatia 10460 619 13.6 619 13.6 Cuba 4571 964 8.6 964 8.6 Cyprus 24940 89 10.4 89 10.4 Czech Republic (the) 14450 1222 12.0 1222 12.0 Democratic Republic of the Congo (the) 140 365 0.6 20183 32.2 Dominican Republic 3550 1838 18.8 1691 17.3 Ecuador 3080 2341 17.5 1559 11.7 Egypt 1580 15983 21.2 31439 41.6 El Salvador 2850 1493 21.8 865 12.6 Eritrea 230 81 1.7 2350 48.4 Estonia 13200 196 14.7 196 14.7 Ethiopia 220 2441 2.9 29114 35.0 Fiji 3800 59 7.0 59 7.0 Finland 44400 380 7.2 380 7.2 France 38500 4620 7.5 4620 7.5 Gambia (the) 320 54 3.2 625 36.6 Georgia 2120 737 16.8 737 16.8 Germany 38860 4949 6.0 4949 6.0 Ghana 590 1856 7.9 6942 29.6 Greece 29630 1657 14.9 1657 14.9 Guatemala 2305 755 5.7 1968 14.7 Guinea-Bissau 200 152 9.0 583 34.4 Guyana 1300 207 28.1 147 19.9 Honduras 1600 1266 17.8 959 13.5 Hungary 11570 1232 12.3 1232 12.3 Iceland 54100 30 10.0 30 10.0 India 950 105725 9.0 196445 16.8 Indonesia 1650 16548 7.1 37438 16.2 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 3470 22918 32.2 25491 35.8 Iraq 1646 1932 6.7 11059 38.1 Ireland 48140 365 8.5 365 8.5 Israel 21900 398 5.7 398 5.7 Italy 33540 5669 9.6 5669 9.6 Jamaica 3710 350 12.9 334 12.3 Japan 37670 6639 5.2 6639 5.0 Jordan 2850 992 16.7 2027 34.2 Kazakhstan 5060 4714 30.6 4714 30.6 Kenya 680 3760 10.0 12918 34.4 Kiribati 1170 7 7.4 7 7.4 Kuwait 40114 482 16.9 482 16.9 Kyrgyzstan 590 1214 22.8 1214 22.8 Lao People's Democratic Republic (the) 580 656 11.2 1075 18.3 Latvia 9930 407 17.9 407 17.9 Lebanon 5770 536 13.1 1170 28.5 Lesotho 1000 402 20.0 537 26.7 Liberia 150 1235 32.9 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (the) 9010 2138 34.7 2497 40.5 Lithuania 9920 759 22.4 759 22.4 Madagascar 320 594 3.0 6641 33.7 Malawi 250 839 6.0 3614 26.0 Malaysia 6540 6282 23.6 6282 23.6 Maldives 3200 10 3.3 56 18.3 Mali 500 711 5.8 3959 32.1 Malta 14575 14 3.4 14 3.4 Marshall Islands (the) 3070 1 1.7 1 1.7 Mauritania 840 262 8.4 1109 35.5 Mauritius 5450 140 11.1 140 11.1 Mexico 8340 22103 20.7 22103 20.7 Micronesia (Federated States of) 2470 2 1.8 16 14.4 Mongolia 1290 562 21.4 507 19.3 Montenegro 5180 122 20.4 122 20.4 Morocco 2250 3838 12.3 8850 28.3 Mozambique 320 1952 9.1 7432 34.7 Myanmar 281 1638 3.4 11422 23.4 Namibia 3360 368 17.7 594 28.6 Nauru 7842 1 9.9 1 9.9 Nepal 340 962 3.4 4245 15.1 Netherlands (the) 45820 791 4.8 791 4.8 New Zealand 28780 423 10.1 423 10.1 Nicaragua 980 506 9.0 797 14.2 Niger (the) 280 570 4.0 5357 37.7 Nigeria 930 4532 3.1 47865 32.3 Norway 76450 233 5.0 233 5.0 Oman 11275 798 30.7 553 21.3 Pakistan 870 7234 4.4 41494 25.3 Palau 8210 3 14.8 3 14.8 Panama 5510 425 12.7 425 12.7 Papua New Guinea 850 308 4.9 901 14.2 Paraguay 1670 854 13.9 1206 19.7 Peru 3450 3510 12.6 6001 21.5 Philippines (the) 1620 1185 1.3 17557 20.0 Poland 9840 5583 14.7 5583 14.7 Portugal 18950 1110 10.4 1110 10.4 Puerto Ricoj 14720 452 11.3 511 12.8 Qatar 66063 199 23.7 199 23.7 Republic of Korea (the) 19690 6166 12.8 6166 12.8 Republic of Moldova (the) 1260 571 15.1 571 15.1 Romania 6150 2712 12.7 2712 12.7 Russian Federation (the) 7560 35972 25.2 35972 25.2 Rwanda 320 308 3.2 3077 31.6 Saint Lucia 5349 29 17.6 29 17.6 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4210 8 6.6 8 6.6 Samoa 2430 19 10.2 24 12.8 San Marino 41044 1 3.2 1 3.2 Sao Tome and Principe 870 20 12.7 52 33.0 Saudi Arabia 15440 6358 25.7 7166 29.0 Senegal 820 345 2.8 4023 32.5 Serbia 4730 962 9.8 962 9.8 Seychelles 8960 16 18.5 16 18.5 Sierra Leone 260 68 1.2 1661 28.3 Singapore 32470 214 4.8 214 4.8 Slovakia 11730 815 15.1 815 15.1 Slovenia 20960 293 14.6 293 14.6 Solomon Islands 730 19 3.8 84 16.9 South Africa 5760 16113 33.2 16113 33.2 Spain 29450 4104 9.3 4104 9.3 Sri Lanka 1540 2334 12.1 2603 13.5 Sudan (the) 960 2227 5.8 13362 34.7 Suriname 4730 90 19.7 84 18.3 Swaziland 2580 235 20.6 300 26.3 Sweden 46060 471 5.2 471 5.2 Switzerland 59880 370 4.9 370 4.9 Syrian Arab Republic (the) 1760 3663 18.4 6552 32.9 Tajikistan 460 464 6.9 951 14.1 Thailand 3400 16240 25.4 16240 19.6 The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 3460 140 6.9 140 6.9 Timor-Leste 1510 49 4.2 186 16.1 Togo 360 613 9.3 1851 28.1 Tonga 2320 7 7.0 7 7.0 Trinidad and Tobago 14100 207 15.5 207 15.5 Tunisia 3200 1497 14.5 3568 34.5 Turkey 8020 6022 8.0 10066 13.4 Turkmenistan 1234 702 14.1 926 18.6 Tuvalu 2441 1 9.5 1 9.5 Uganda 340 2838 9.2 7634 24.7 Ukraine 2550 9921 21.5 9921 21.5 United Arab Emirates (the) 41082 1056 24.1 1626 37.1 United Kingdom (the) 42740 3298 5.4 3298 5.4 United Republic of Tanzania (the) 400 2595 6.4 13886 34.3 United States of America (the) 46040 42642 13.9 42642 13.9 Uruguay 6380 145 4.3 145 4.3 Uzbekistan 730 2644 9.7 2644 9.7 Vanuatu 1840 7 3.1 42 18.6 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 7320 6031 21.8 6031 21.8 Viet Nam 790 16640 19.0 14104 16.1 West Bank and Gaza Striph 1422 188 4.7 896 4.9 Yemen 870 3003 13.4 6553 29.3 Zambia 800 1645 13.8 3056 25.6 Zimbabwe 131 1348 10.1 3669 27.5

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