Pakistan tops Global Terrorism Index with 6pc increase in terror-related deaths

Pakistan has ranked number one on the Global Terrorism Index for the first time, recording a six per cent increase in terrorism-related deaths, 1,139, in 2025, it emerged on Sunday. The Global Terrorism Index 2026 published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) provides a comprehensive summary of the key trends and patterns in terrorism over the last two decades. The report ranks 163 countries (99.7pc of the world’s population) according to the impact of terrorism. The indicators include the number of terrorist incidents, fatalities, injuries and hostages.

According to the report, Pakistan’s “strained” relationship with neighbouring countries, particularly Afghanistan, and rising violence from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have created “significant security” risks for the country. “Deaths from terrorism in Pakistan are now at their highest level since 2013, with the country recording 1,139 terrorism deaths and 1,045 incidents in 2025,” the report said. The report noted that the TTP had emerged as the “deadliest” terror group in Pakistan and the third deadliest globally.

“TTP attacks constitute over 67pc of total attacks in Pakistan since 2009, and it is responsible for five times as many attacks in Pakistan as the second most active group, the BLA,” the report said. It added that the TTP emerged as the only group out of the four deadliest — Islamic State (IS), Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), TTP, and al-Shabaab — to record an increase in the number of incidents orchestrated by in the last year. “Incidents increased by 24pc in 2025, with 595 attacks compared to 481 attacks in 2024. All of the group’s attacks occurred in Pakistan, primarily within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the border with Afghanistan,” the report said.

At least 637 deaths were attributed to the group in 2025 — the highest since 2011 and amounting to 56pc of terrorism-related deaths in the country. It added that the largest attack carried out by the group in 2025 “was an armed attack targeting military forces, resulting in the death of 21 people”. According to the report, the Afghan Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan had “profoundly impacted Pakistan’s security and stability”. “It provided the TTP with the means and motivation to significantly expand their geographic reach and operational efficiency, resulting in a considerable rise in violent extremism in the region.” The report noted that this was the “sixth consecutive year” in which Pakistan witnessed a surge in terrorism deaths. It also observed a “slight decline” in the total number of terror attacks in 2025. However, it noted that the country recorded a spike in hostages taken in Pakistan, from 101 in 2024 to 655 in 2025. It attributed the rise to the Jaffar Express attack, where 442 people were taken hostage, also contributing to a surge in global numbers for hostage taking. “If this incident had not occurred, the overall number of hostages would have decreased by 30 per cent from 2024 to 2025,” the report said. The report noted that KP and Balochistan remained the most affected by terrorism in the country, accounting for “over 74pc of terrorist attacks and 67pc of deaths in Pakistan in 2025”. Globally, the report noted a “substantial fall” in terrorism, with the deaths from terrorism falling by 28pc to 5,582, and the number of attacks decreasing by nearly 22pc. The IS and its affiliates remained the deadliest terrorist organisation in 2025, followed closely by JNIM, TTP, and Al-Shabaab. “They were collectively responsible for 3,869 deaths, or 70pc of all terrorism fatalities,” the report said. It added that under 70pc of the deaths from terrorism occurred in only five countries, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), adding that Sub-Saharan Africa has now become the “global epicentre of terrorism”. The report also observed a “significant increase” in terrorism incidents in Western countries, recording an increase of 280pc totalling up to 57 deaths. “This increase was largely driven by several mass-casualty attacks, including the New Orleans truck attack in the United States in January, and the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia in December,” it said. The report also observed that there were several “high-profile” attacks in the West, including the “assassination of US conservative political influencer Charlie Kirk and the killing of two Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington, DC”. Last year, Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rising by 45pc over the past year to 1,081.