For the first time in seven years, the number of countries experiencing terrorist attacks increased in 2024, rising from 58 to 66, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) in its annual Global Terrorism Index.
The number of deaths linked to terrorist acts also saw an increase of 11%. Burkina Faso, Pakistan, and Syria suffered the greatest number of casualties due to terrorist attacks in 2024.
The Islamic State (IS) was once again the deadliest terrorist organisation worldwide, causing 1,805 deaths in 22 countries.
IS was most active in Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Another emerging group, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), caused 558 deaths, a 90% rise from the previous year.
The Sahel region in Africa remains the most terrorism-prone, accounting for over half of the deaths from attacks last year.
Deaths in the Sahel have nearly multiplied tenfold since 2009. In Western countries, most attacks in 2024 were perpetrated by individuals without formal group affiliations.
The IEP notes that popular social media algorithms can lead users towards increasingly extreme content over time.
Western countries saw a significant rise in terrorist attacks for the first time since 2017, increasing from 32 to 52 in one year.
The IEP is also concerned about a sharp increase in hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim communities in the United States.
