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Terrorism

Terrorism by country

In most countries the number of terrorist attacks is moderate or low. In many countries, no terrorist activities have even been registered. terroristischen Aktivitäten registriert. On the other hand, countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan lead the ranking of devastating regions.

With 189 incidents registered in the past 5 years, the United States ranked 31st worldwide, killing 224 victims and injuring 1393 others.


Overview: Terrorism

Terrorist organizations
Note: This page contains data from 2013 to 2017 and is no longer updated.
Incidents by country

Increased risk of terrorism in developing countries

Looking at the world map of terrorist acts, it is striking that the countries with the particularly high numbers of cases are predominantly developing countries or at least emerging economies. Despite various interpretations of the term "terrorism," this is due to the nature of terror. What all definitions have in common is that they are criminal violent acts that seek to force a change in the way of life. So, for example, politics, religion, or other ideologies.

Terrorism Countries with weak economic performance have low tax revenues and thus hardly any possibilities to provide for a balanced social system. The standard of living and satisfaction of the population tend to be low. In addition, there is a lack of budgets for the judiciary and the executive branch, as well as increased incentives for bribery. This often leads to general dissatisfaction, and only then to the possibility of enforcing one's own goals through acts of violence. However, poverty does not only promote the likelihood of terrorism. The elites who profit from poverty also ensure that this status does not change as much as possible.

Terrorist acts by country 2013 to 2017

LandAttacksKilledInjuredHostages
Iraq13,22437,47159,40317,573
Afghanistan7,02522,33425,3194,677
Pakistan6,1247,11213,0122,166
India4,0421,9043,1641,939
Nigeria2,46917,7487,3452,810
Philippines2,3481,4001,9721,137
Yemen1,8884,1655,4561,242
Libya1,7651,8802,7161,983
Somalia1,6594,1133,5981,373
Syria1,4439,60710,8617,083
Egypt1,4342,0132,628143
Thailand1,3545181,93243
Turkey8931,2123,577256
Ukraine8511,1191,200365
Bangladesh8502251,07378
Colombia604305679221
Sudan5968301,052690
United Kingdom5595640913
Democratic Republic of the Congo4891,7277421,775
Palestine45818936932
Nepal4451221220
Israel393534032
Kenya3739291,149666
Lebanon3343531,85399
Mali324597680387
Russia2613175116
Cameroon2581,519982469
Saudi Arabia2503135163
Central African Republic2291,7648511,436
Myanmar216286204560
United States of America1892241,3936
Burundi18521352612
Greece18369222
South Sudan1711,6691,139510
Bahrain132241285
Germany131341781
Mozambique12410318841
Indonesia121891111,310
France11926265060
Ireland112250
South Africa8754610
Sri Lanka8161122
Sweden759380
China745347213
Paraguay66351955
Niger6285824340
Algeria5312462883
Chile513332
Malaysia47101442
Ethiopia46361160227
Uganda421283630
Burkina Faso419382138
Tanzania40321405
Tunisia4012411717
Italy371171
Iran371039911
Mexico366411611
Chad3023246731
Canada2914670
Australia28102919
Kosovo283110
Peru26171535
Venezuela2614102323
Jordan2133621
Cyprus18000
Maldives17182
Spain15211161
Ivory Coast1426361
Republic of the Congo143350
Finland142110
Czechia13220
Bosnia and Herzegovina104100
Netherlands10130
Japan1019262
Brazil10501
Rwanda99861
Kyrgyzstan9360
Georgia9380
North Macedonia8074
Argentina8041
Belgium8412770
Papua New Guinea7032
Ecuador7270
Laos74150
Albania7120
Bulgaria7010
Kazakhstan710120
Tajikistan614120
Guatemala6430
Zimbabwe6021
Azerbaijan6140
Senegal614424
Denmark6380
Austria5220
Honduras5910
Armenia5632
Guinea5240
Malta5100
Trinidad and Tobago4000
Madagascar441220
Taiwan4010
Gabon4022
Jamaica3010
Switzerland3000
Poland3010
Sierra Leone3100
United Arab Emirates3100
Angola314050
Cambodia2000
Hungary2020
Kuwait2292270
Montenegro2000
Nicaragua25280
Liberia2000
South Korea2010
Estonia2000
Vietnam2000
Dominican Republic20350
Djibouti25152
Ghana2031
New Zealand2000
Zambia2000
Bhutan1005
Lesotho1120
Morocco1001
Panama1000
Guyana1000
Norway1000
Bahamas1000
Iceland1000
Haiti1700
Slovakia1010
Malawi1000
Croatia1010
Belize1000
Moldova1000
Latvia1000
Qatar1010
Uzbekistan1000
Uruguay1110
Serbia1010

Islamic terrorism

Another noticeable feature of the deep red countries on the map is that most of them are predominantly Islamic. Even in countries with a predominantly non-Islamic creed (Philippines: Catholics, Thailand: Buddhists), the majority of terrorist acts emanate from Islamic segments of the population. In India (80% Hindu), however, most terrorist acts are due to Maoist groups. In Colombia, it is Marxist-oriented guerrilla movements.

What is often met with incomprehension in many Western countries lies in the different interpretations of Islam. Just as there were violent and even military interpretations of Christianity in the 12th and 13th centuries with the Crusades, there are also different interpretations of Islam. In particular, Salafism in Sunni Islamism is often understood as warlike. This gave rise to jihadism, a militant extremist manifestation that today causes a worldwide stir. The combination of rejection of Western ways of life and thinking with an unconditional and thus also violent missionary mandate has been causing conflicts for centuries. As the influence of the Western world on the Islamic world has increased only in recent decades, resistance to it has also grown stronger.

Data basis

All information sourced from the "National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism" (START) and its Global Terrorism Database. For the definition of a terrorist act see the introduction of our terrorism pages.