Pakistan has emerged as the country most impacted by terrorism globally. According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026, Pakistan is experiencing a sharp resurgence with 1,139 deaths and 1,045 incidents in 2025, its highest level since 2013.
How terroism spiked in Pakistan With a score of 8.57, Pakistan replaced Burkina Faso as the country most impacted by terrorism. This is the first time since 2011 that Pakistan has been ranked at the top of the Global Terrorism Index, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), a Sydney-based independent, non-profit think tank.
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“Pakistan’s strained relations with its neighbours, combined with rising violence from TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), have created significant security risks,” the report noted.
Top 10 countries in Global Terrorism Index 2026 African countries dominated the top 10 list in the 2026 Global Terrorism Index, with Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Other Asian countries in the top 10 list are Syria (6), Cambodia (9), and Israel (10).
While Afghanistan is at the 11th spot, India is placed 13th on the list, followed by Myanmar.
Global Terrorism Index 2026 India ranking According to the 2026 Global Terrorism Index, India has a score of 6.43, with the country recording more than 142 terror-related incidents, more than 100 fatalities, and 118 injuries in 2025.
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Iran is ranked 18th in the Global Terrorism Index 2026, while the US is placed in the 28th spot.
Waht is Global Terrorism Index The Global Terrorism Index is a comprehensive study analysing the impact of terrorism for 163 countries covering 99.7 per cent of the world’s population.
In 2025, the report noted that deaths from terrorism fell by 28 per cent to 5,582, and incidents decreased by 22 per cent to 2,944, marking the lowest figures since 2007.
Global terror fatalities fell in 2025 Though globally deaths from terrorism have fallen, the study found that in the West, fatalities rose sharply by 280 per cent to 57 in 2025, largely driven by antisemitism, Islamophobia and political terrorism.
Deadliest terror outfits Among terror outfits, the GTI named the Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates as the deadliest terrorist organisation in 2026, responsible for just under 17 per cent of all attacks worldwide.
The four deadliest terrorist organisations in 2025 were IS, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and al-Shabaab. They were collectively responsible for 3,869 deaths, or 70 per cent of all terrorism fatalities.
Iran could become a terror breeding ground The report also expressed concern over the escalation of the conflict in Iran, saying it could further destabilise the MENA region and increase the risk of groups sympathetic to Iran carrying out terrorist attacks overseas.
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It also warned that Iran risks becoming another breeding ground for terrorist militias if it becomes a failed State.
Youth radicalisation and lone-wolf attacks According to the IEP, youth radicalisation and lone-wolf attacks remain one of the biggest risks globally.
Youth terrorism investigations have risen threefold since 2021, and 93 per cent of all fatal attacks in the West over the same period were lone-wolf attacks, it said.