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The 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) has ranked Nigeria as the fourth most-affected country by terrorism globally.
Nigeria rose to fourth place on the index, with 750 people killed in 2025, up 46% from 2024.
The West African country, which is the continent’s most populous country, recorded a major increase in terrorism deaths globally in 2025, with fatalities rising by 46% from 513 in 2024 to 750, behind Pakistan, Burkina Faso and Niger.
“This marks the highest death toll since 2020, driven by internal instability as well as ongoing conflict between ISWAP and Boko Haram,” the report said.
The index, which was compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace think tank, ranked 163 countries for 13 years according to the impact of “terrorism” based on indicators such as the number of attacks, deaths, injuries and hostages.
It defines terrorism as “the systematic threat or use of violence, by non-state actors, whether for or in opposition to established authority”.
Nigeria has battled persistent security challenges for over a decade despite ongoing counterterrorism efforts by its military.
Extremist groups have launched a series of attacks, plunging many states, particularly in the northern region, into chaos and displacing thousands who have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety.
In February, terrorists killed no fewer than 162 people in Kwara, a state in North-central Nigeria. There were multiple bomb explosions in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, another northern state, on Monday.
Nigeria and its neighbours in the Sahel have been deeply affected by terror since insurgent groups began expanding to West Africa’s coastal countries, particularly Benin, which shares borders with Nigeria.
The Sahel region of Africa has seen a spike in terrorism incidents linked to extremist groups, including Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, known by its Arabic acronym JNIM, since 2007.
The report noted that the Sahel, a semi-arid belt stretching along the Sahara desert’s southern rim from the Atlantic to the Red Sea, has become the epicentre of terrorism.
“The Sahel has suffered a tenfold increase in terrorism fatalities since 2007”, when it accounted for only one percent of global terrorism-related deaths, the report said.
“The epicentre of terrorism has shifted from the Middle East and North Africa, into the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa.”
Burkina Faso and Niger, two other West African countries, ranked second and third, respectively, on the Global Terrorism Index.
