The mortality rate i.e. the total number of people that die per year from all causes - war, cancer, road accidents, old age, heart disease, being kicked by a donkey etc. - is only about 8.5 per 1000 for the 20th Century, which is 1 in 117.

Given a life expectancy of just shy of 70 years, it's statistically impossible for governments to kill "1 in 40".

In fact, throughout the 20th century in the developed world, the leading causes of death transitioned from infectious diseases such as influenza, to degenerative diseases such as cancer or diabetes.

In 1900, the leading cause of death in the United States was influenza with 202.2 deaths per 100,000 people followed by tuberculosis with 194.4, which is a curable illness today. In the middle of 20th century America, the leading cause of death was heart disease with an impressive 355.5 deaths per 100,000 followed by cancer at 139.8 deaths per 100,000. Although death rates dropped significantly in the latter part of the 20th century, the leading killers are still constant. The United States saw 192.9 people per 100,000 die from heart disease in 2010 followed by cancer with 185.9 people per 100,000.

In the developing world, the leading causes of death remain infectious diseases.

So I'm gonna have to ask for a source on your "1 in 40" number. I'd say that, at most, government would be responsible for 1 in 400 deaths - and that would attribute every single death caused by war, famine, terrorism and other geo-political causes to "government".