According to the latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report, in 2023, deaths from terrorism rose by 22 per cent to 8,352, reaching their highest level since 2017.
Per the report, while Israel suffered the largest terrorist attack in 2023, it was not the country most impacted by terrorism. Burkina Faso is now ranked first on the GTI.
In the 13 years the GTI covers, it is the first time a country other than Afghanistan or Iraq has been top of the index. Almost 2,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso from 258 incidents, accounting for nearly a quarter of all terrorist deaths globally.
The impact of terrorism in the country has increased every year since 2014, with terrorism also surging in its neighbours, Mali and Niger. In Burkina Faso in 2023, deaths from terrorism were up 68 per cent, even though attacks decreased by 17 per cent.
Regionally, the impact of terrorism is far higher in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia than in any other regions in the world.
These three regions accounted for 94 per cent of deaths from terrorism in 2023, with sub-Saharan Africa alone accounting for just under 59 per cent of all fatalities.
Below are the top 10 African countries most impacted by terrorism in 2024:
| Rank | Country | Overall score | Overall rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burkina Faso | 8.571 | 1 |
| 2 | Mali | 7.998 | 3 |
| 3 | Nigeria | 7.575 | 9 |
| 4 | Niger | 7.274 | 10 |
| 5 | Cameroon | 6.98 | 12 |
| 6 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 6.514 | 13 |
| 7 | Mozambique | 6.267 | 15 |
| 8 | Kenya | 5.616 | 18 |
| 9 | Egypt | 5.221 | 20 |
| 10 | Chad | 4.987 | 21 |
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