The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2016, which was released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on November 16, notes that Tajikistan tops Central Asia’s nations in terms of vulnerability to terrorism.
The 2016 GTI ranks Tajikistan 56th among 163 nations in terms of vulnerability to terrorism. The survey says that three terrorist incidents that took place in Tajikistan last year left 12 dead and 10 wounded.
“There is also a risk that terrorism in Afghanistan may continue to spread north into Central Asia, particularly along the border with Tajikistan, a country that had its worst year for terrorism since at least 2000,” the survey notes.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan is reportedly the safest in terms of the likelihood of terrorist attacks in Central Asia. It is ranked 130th.
Uzbekistan is ranked 117th, Kazakhstan – 94th, and Kyrgyzstan – 84th.
The Russian Federation is ranked 30th among 163 nations in terms of the likelihood of terrorist attacks.
The top five countries in terms of vulnerability to terrorism are Iraq (6,960 people were killed in terrorist attacks), Afghanistan (5,312), Nigeria (4,940), Pakistan (1,086), and Syria (2,761). These countries reportedly account for 72 percent of all victims of terrorist acts.
The Global Terrorism Index 2016 provides a comprehensive insight into current terrorist trends and activities.
Just some of the key findings from this year's report include: seventy-six countries improved their scores in the 2016 GTI, while 53 countries deteriorated (however, the overall GTI score deteriorated by 6% since last year due to many countries experiencing record levels of terrorism); deaths from terrorism decreased by 10% in 2015 to 29,376. This is the first decrease in the number of deaths recorded; Iraq and Nigeria recorded the biggest decreases with 5,556 combined fewer deaths, constituting a 32% reduction from the previous year; and the global economic impact of terrorism reached US$89.6 billion in 2015.
This is the fourth edition of the Global Terrorism Index which provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 16 years, covering the period from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2015.
Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the GTI is based on data from the Global Terrorism Database which is collected and collated by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence led by the University of Maryland. The Global Terrorism Database is considered to be the most comprehensive dataset on terrorist activity globally and has now codified over 150,000 terrorist incidents.
