The Changing Face of Terrorism
Terrorism Since 9/11
Two decades of global conflict, visualized.
The post-9/11 era is not a simple rising line. The data reveals two distinct waves of violence. The first corresponds with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But the second wave, starting around 2013, was far more severe. This massive surge represents the most active period of terrorism in modern history.
If we look closer at this peak, we see the impact of ISIS. The period between 2014 and 2016 creates a distinct “shock” in the data, a fundamental shift in conflict intensity.
Who is fighting? Initially, the landscape was dominated by religious extremist groups (Islamist).
Over time, however, we see a fragmentation. While religious violence remains dominant, the landscape has fractured into various other motivations and unidentified groups.
Where is it happening? Terrorism is often portrayed as a threat to the West. The data tells a different story.
The burden is heavily concentrated in the Global South. The map shows a clear belt of instability stretching from West Africa through the Middle East to South Asia.
The human cost confirms this concentration. A handful of countries—Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, account for the vast majority of fatalities.
Terrorism can feel global in the media, but in reality, it is devastatingly local.
Analysis & Visualization by Nikolas Neubauer.