Pakistan has claimed the unwelcome top spot on the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026, becoming the country most impacted by terrorism for the first time, according to the latest report released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
The comprehensive analysis, which evaluates terrorism’s effects across 163 countries using indicators such as incidents, fatalities, injuries, and hostages (weighted over five years), shows Pakistan recording a GTI score of 8.574 — the highest on the index. This marks a significant deterioration from its second-place ranking the previous year and reflects the sixth consecutive year of rising terrorism-related deaths in the country.
In 2025, Pakistan suffered 1,139 terrorism deaths — the highest annual toll since 2013 — alongside 1,045 incidents. This represented a roughly 6 per cent increase in fatalities compared to the prior year. The surge was accompanied by a dramatic escalation in hostage-taking, with victims jumping from 101 in 2024 to 655 in 2025. A major contributor to this spike was the high-profile Jaffar Express attack, in which 442 individuals were taken hostage.
The violence remains heavily concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, which together accounted for over 74 per cent of attacks and 67 per cent of deaths nationwide. These border regions continue to face intense activity from groups such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — which ranked as the third-deadliest terrorist organization globally in 2025 — and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
The report attributes much of Pakistan’s resurgence in terrorism to the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, which has provided militant groups with greater operational freedom, safe havens, and cross-border access. Strained relations with neighboring Afghanistan have compounded these security challenges, enabling escalated attacks on Pakistani security forces, infrastructure, and civilians.
Globally, the picture is more positive: terrorism deaths fell sharply by 28 per cent to 5,582, while incidents dropped by nearly 22 per cent to 2,944 — the lowest levels since the index began. Improvements occurred in 81 countries, with only 19 deteriorating — the fewest in the GTI’s history. However, terrorism remains highly concentrated: nearly 70 per cent of all deaths occurred in just five countries — Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — with sub-Saharan Africa now the epicenter (six of the top ten most-affected nations are in the region).
Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates remained the world’s deadliest terrorist network in 2025, despite operating in fewer countries (down from 22 to 15). IS was responsible for just under 17 per cent of global attacks, with a notable shift: incidents in sub-Saharan Africa nearly doubled (from 111 to 221), while those in the Middle East and North Africa declined by 39 per cent.
The four deadliest groups overall — IS, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), TTP, and al-Shabaab — accounted for 70 per cent (3,869) of all terrorism fatalities. Only the TTP recorded an increase in deaths among this group.
The IEP emphasizes that addressing root causes — including governance gaps, socio-economic issues, and diplomatic tensions — will be essential to reversing this trajectory.