Mapping Global Terrorism: Hotspots, Patterns, and Hidden Vulnerabilities

A Data-Driven Analysis of High-Impact Nations — From Sahelian Conflicts to South Asian Tensions

Burkina Faso ranked first on the global terrorism index with a score of 8.58 points in 2024, making it the country most affected by terrorism on Earth.

In terms of regional distribution, half of the Top 20 countries are located in sub-Saharan Africa, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Mozambique.

This region is the most concentrated area for terrorist activities, especially the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger), which is seriously invaded by Islamic extremist organizations (such as the “Greater Sahara Islamic State”).

Middle East: Syria, Iraq, Iran, Israel.
Long-term impact of war (Syrian civil war, Iraqi conflict), geopolitical tensions (Iranian-Western relations) and Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

South Asia: Pakistan, Afghanistan, India.
The Taliban is active on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, while India faces armed conflict in Kashmir.

Southeast Asia: Myanmar (Rohingya crisis), Philippines (Islamic separatist organizations such as Abu Sayyaf).

South America: Colombia (long-term anti-government armed conflict).

The highest share of deaths from terrorism in 2024 occurred in Burkina Faso, accounting for 20 percent of all deaths.

Terrorist fatalities are highly concentrated in resource-scarce areas with frequent conflicts (such as the Sahel region in Africa and the Middle East war zone), with root causes including governance failure, economic inequality, and imbalanced external intervention. Data also reveals that despite ongoing global counterterrorism efforts, systemic risks in fragile states remain unresolved, highlighting the crucial importance of regional cooperation and enhancing local governance capabilities.