Global Terrorism and the Deadliest Groups since 2001

This chapter reports new results from the most recent version of the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), which includes information on the characteristics of more than 125,000 terrorist attacks that occurred worldwide between 1970 and 2013 (LaFree, Dugan, and Miller 2015). We provide an update of baseline information on the distribution of terrorist attacks and fatalities around the world. In addition, we present analysis focusing on the worldwide surge in terrorist activity since the attacks of 9/11. Of the 20 deadliest terrorist groups since 2001, we classify 13 as organizations that strongly professed Islamic or Islamist motivations or goals. Our analysis highlights the extent to which these groups have come to dominate terrorism statistics in the years since the attacks of 9/11. We also review how these groups' targets, tactics, use of weapons, and regional distribution of activities compare to other extremely violent groups during the same time period.