ALICE SPRINGS has become the stabbing capital of the world due to a rampant culture of tribal punishment, according to a new study led by staff at the town's hospital.

The report records an average of 390 stabbings per 100,000 people a year in Alice Springs, the highest incidence in the world.

The stabbings involve almost exclusively Aborigines, reflecting the prevalence of traditional punishments, say the authors of the report.