Lives lost to terrorism at all-time high

Globally, from 2013 to 2014 the number of deaths due to terrorism rose by 80%, reaching the highest level ever recorded at 32,658, according to the third edition of the Global Terrorism Index

Two groups responsible for half the deaths

Boko Haram, which pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State as the group’s West Africa Province in March 2015, has become the world’s deadliest terrorist group, causing 6,644 deaths compared to IS’s 6,073.

IS and Boko Haram are now jointly responsible for 51% of all global fatalities from claimed terrorist attacks.

Numbers tell the story

4,37,000	People are victims of homicide each year, which is over 13 times more than the number of victims of terrorism.
70%	Of all deaths over the past 10 years were caused by lone wolf attackers who are the main perpetrators of terrorist activity in the West.
80%	Of lone wolf deaths were by political extremists, nationalists, racial and religious supremacists. Islamic fundamentalism was not the main driver of terrorism in Western countries.
$52.9 bn	Global economic cost of terrorism
11	Countries with over 500 terrorism deaths (120% rise)
300%	Rise in fatalities in Nigeria.
172%	Battlefield deaths IS was involved in.

Worst-affected countries (Global Rank and Fatalities)

Source: The Hindu, 24-11-2015