A consortium of researchers dedicated to improving the understanding of the human causes and consequences of terrorism

Institute for Economics and Peace releases Global Terrorism Index

Last month, the Institute for Economics and Peace released its fifth Global Terrorism Index (GTI) – a report based on data from START’s Global Terrorism Database (GTD) and supplemented with additional data and analysis.

According to the GTI report, for the second year in a row, the total number of global deaths caused by terrorism has declined, but 2016 was also the third deadliest year since 2000.​

The report also found that the intensity of global terrorism has decreased yet it continued to spread to an increasing number of countries. There were 77 countries that experienced at least one death from terrorism in 2016. This is more than at any time in the past 17 years with two out of every three countries experiencing at least one terrorist attack, according to the GTI.

The report also highlights a positive trend: there were 22 percent fewer deaths from terrorism in 2016 since the peak of terror activity in 2014. The GTI attributes this in part to significant declines in terrorism in four of the five countries most impacted by terrorism – Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Collectively these four countries recorded 33 percent fewer deaths according to the GTI.

The GTI report is a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 17 years. The report includes:

– Global results and trends

– Terrorism trends in Europe and other developed countries

– Characteristics driving terrorism recruitment

– Profiles of the four most deadly terrorist groups

– Economics of terrorism

According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, “One of the principle aims of the Global Terrorism Index is to help us to understand the global, regional and local impact of terrorism. With this understanding we can inform a positive practical debate about the future of terrorism and importantly, how we respond.”