Nigeria has been ranked the fourth most terrorised country in the world in 2025, ahead of Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan, according to the 2026 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) released by the Institute for Economics and Peace on Thursday.
The report identifies Nigeria as the Sahel nation with the highest number of terror-related deaths and incidents last year. Across Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Pakistan, approximately 70% of global terror deaths occurred in 2025.
In Nigeria, the majority of attacks are carried out by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram, which together accounted for 80% of deaths and incidents. The GTI notes that Nigeria recorded the largest increase in terrorism fatalities in 2025, rising 46% to 750 deaths.
“Just under 70% of deaths from terrorism occurred in only five countries: Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the DRC,” the report states. “Nigeria is the only Sahel country to see an increase in both deaths and incidents compared to the previous year.”
The index reported 237 more terror-related deaths in 2025 than in 2024, a 13% increase. In the same period, 243 people were injured across 171 incidents. The surge is largely attributed to ideological and criminal violence.
Civilians continue to be the primary targets, representing 67% of fatalities, while military personnel accounted for about 19%. Terror attacks are intensifying in the Northeast, with recent incidents including a triple improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Maiduguri, Borno, which killed 23 people.
Since 2011, Nigeria has consistently appeared on the Global Terrorism Index, reflecting the persistent threat posed by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other extremist groups. The rise in Islamic State activity prompted US-backed strikes against ISWAP in northwestern Nigeria in late 2025.
