The Global Terrorism Index is in its seventh edition. Analyzing more than 170,000 terrorist incidents from the period between 1970 and the end of 2018, along with other long-term socioeconomic and statistical data, the GTI ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of deaths from terrorist motives. Guided and controlled by a group of international experts, this index from the IEP is also used as an indicator for the Global Peace Index. The methodology centers around the definition of terrorism: «the use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to achieve a political, economic, religious, or social objective through fear, coercion, or intimidation.»

With this in mind, this is the fourth consecutive year that the GTI records a decrease in deaths from terrorism: since 2014, this decline has reached 52%, from 33,555 to 15,952.

The top 10 most affected countries are as follows: Afghanistan, Iraq (which drops from the first position for the first time since 2003), Nigeria, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, India, Yemen, the Philippines, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of the total deaths examined, the Taliban are responsible for 38%, making them the deadliest terrorist group, followed by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), ISIS-Khorasan, and Boko Haram. In this context, there has also been a significant rise in terrorist incidents by far-right groups: a 320% increase in the last 5 years, particularly affecting North America, Oceania, and Western Europe.

In general terms, terrorism remains a significant threat to global security, with 71 countries registering more than one death from terrorism in the past year. Despite this, the global economic impact of terrorism has decreased by 38% from the previous year (33 trillion U.S. dollars). Additionally, deaths in Europe have dropped by 70%, with Western Europe seeing its lowest number since 2012.

Finally, the general trends in the GTI indicate a decrease in terrorism-related deaths in Europe and North America since 2014, the year ISIS made a strong entry into the region. On the other hand, between 2002 and 2018, South Asia, the Middle East, and both North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 93% of all terrorism-related deaths. Today, the Global Terrorism Index focuses most heavily on Afghanistan. Its alarming 59% increase in deaths compared to the previous year, deeply linked to the intensity of its civil war, places it at the forefront of global security concerns.

Nicole Pretell
Communication Assistant, INCIPE