With a score of 7.658, Nigeria has risen from eighth place in 2023 and 2024 to sixth place in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index.
Burkina Faso received the highest score of 8.581, followed by Pakistan (8.374), Syria (8.006), Mali (7.907), and Niger (7.776), in that order. The 2025 report was published on March 5, 2025.
Somalia (7.614), Israel (7.463), Afghanistan (7.262), Cameroon (6.944), Myanmar (6.929), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (6.768), Iraq (6.582), India (6.410), Colombia (6.381), and Russia (6.267) ranked seventh to sixteenth.
According to the research, Nigeria saw 565 terrorism-related deaths in 2024, indicating a rise in deaths during the previous two years.
“Globally, deaths from terrorism have declined by almost a third since the peak in 2015, with Iraq and Nigeria recording the largest decreases. Deaths in Nigeria peaked at 2,101 in 2014, before dropping to 392 in 2022, the lowest level since 2011. However, fatalities increased by 34 percent in 2023 to 533, and further to 565 in 2024.”
The study also pointed out that IS-Sahel, which is mostly active in the tri-border region of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, or Liptako-Gourma, has expanded its operations to Algeria, Benin, and Nigeria. The organisation conducted 16 assaults in Nigeria, 12 in Niger, 6 in Mali, and 1 in Burkina Faso in 2024.
Furthermore, from 58 to 66, the number of nations hit by at least one terrorist act rose to its highest level since 2018.
READ MORE: Rivers Government Donates Helicopter to Air Force to Boost Oil Production Security
“Terrorism remains a persistent global threat, with 2024 marking another year of shifting patterns and evolving challenges. More countries experienced a deterioration in security, with 45 reporting an increased impact from terrorism, while only 34 saw improvements—the first time in seven years that more nations worsened than improved.”
The Sahel region has become the global epicenter of terrorism, accounting for 51 percent of all terrorism-related deaths in 2024, a nearly tenfold increase since 2019. Overall, conflict-related deaths in the region surpassed 25,000 for the first time since the inception of the index, with 3,885 deaths attributed to terrorism.
“Five of the ten countries most impacted by terrorism are in the Sahel. Although Burkina Faso remains the most affected country, both deaths and attacks declined in 2024—falling by 21 percent and 57 percent, respectively. However, the country still accounted for one-fifth of all terrorism deaths globally.”
The report also highlighted the fragility of counterterrorism progress, citing Niger as an example.
“Niger recorded the largest increase in terrorism-related deaths globally in 2024, surging by 94 percent to 930 fatalities. This reversed the progress seen in 2022 when the country recorded the second-largest improvement in terrorism impact. The case of Niger suggests that the gains made in Burkina Faso may be temporary.”
