Deadliest Terrorist Attacks in 2024

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Terrorism remains a pressing issue globally, with the number of countries recording a terrorist incident increasing from 58 to 66 last year.

This map visualizes the locations and number of deaths of the 20 most deadly terrorist attacks in 2024.

The data comes from the Institute for Economics & Peace.

Defining Terrorism

The Institute for Economics & Peace follows the Global Terrorism Database’s definition of terrorism, which is “the threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a state and non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation.”

The Global Terrorism Database’s definition also includes the following criteria:

1. The violent act was aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal;
2. The violent act included evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) other than the immediate victims; and
3. The violent act was outside the precepts of International Humanitarian Law.

Defining terrorism is a complex and contested issue, with governments and scholars often disagreeing on specific elements, such as whether victims must be non-combatants or if a political motive is required

Where Were the Deadliest Terrorist Attacks in 2024?

Below, we show the location, number of deaths, and details of the 20 most deadly terrorist attacks in 2024.

The Sahel, a region stretching from Senegal to Eritrea across north-central Africa, is now the world’s most terrorism-affected area. Since 2019, terrorism-related deaths in the region have increased tenfold.

In 2024 alone, the Sahel was responsible for more than half of all terrorism-related fatalities worldwide. Burkina Faso remained the hardest-hit country, accounting for one in five terrorism deaths globally.

According to the Institute for Economics & Peace, this dramatic rise is driven by a mix of factors: political instability, weak governance, ethnic conflicts, porous borders, environmental degradation, the spread of transnational jihadist networks, and increasing geopolitical rivalry.

The four deadliest terrorist groups in 2024 were the Islamic State (IS), Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen (JNIM), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and al-Shabaab.

JNIM remains the most active group in Burkina Faso, responsible for nearly half of all attacks there last year. Its presence has grown significantly, with both the number of attacks and related deaths rising by over 50% compared to the previous year.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about the impacts of terrorist attacks, check out this graphic that lays out the timeline of 9/11, arguably the most consequential terrorist attack in modern history.