The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) reported on Tuesday that at least 28,182 fatalities were recorded in the first 11 months of this year, marking a 68 percent increase compared with 2017.
It said at least 60,223 people had been killed since January 2016, nine months after Saudi Arabia launched a massive aerial campaign against its impoverished southern neighbour, a figure six times higher than the frequently cited UN figure of 10,000.
"ACLED's estimation of Yemen's direct conflict deaths is far higher than official estimates - and is still underestimated," Clionadh Raleigh, ACLED's Executive Director said.
"Fatality numbers are only one approximation of the abject tragedy and terror forced upon Yemenis from several sides. This cannot be overstated".
Yemen has been devastated by a multi-sided conflict since 2014 involving local, regional, and international actors.
Groups such as Save The Children have recently reported that an additional 85,000 children may have died from hunger and starvation since the start of the Saudi-led offensive.
The ACLED said the port city of Hodeidah witnessed the greatest escalation of violence in 2018, with an 820 percent increase in total conflict-related fatalities.
Fighting in Hodeidah - the main gateway for imports of relief supplies and commercial goods into the country - escalated on June 13 when the Saudi-UAE alliance launched a wide-ranging operation to retake the city from the Houthi rebels.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi see Hodeidah as the main entry point for weapons for the Houthis and have accused their regional rival Iran of sending missiles to the rebels, a charge Tehran has denied.
Aid agencies have long warned that the assault on Hodeidah could shut down one of the last remaining lifelines for millions of hungry civilians.
Out of a population of 28 million people, a staggering eight million - a number greater than the entire population of Switzerland - are on the verge of famine.