LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The number of terrorist attacks and the resulting casualties around the world has increased dramatically in the past year, a study into international terrorism has found.
Terrorism has become a global phenomenon with 17,958 people killed in terrorist attacks over the last year -- a 61 percent increase from the previous year, according to the 2014 Global Terrorism Index, published Tuesday.
The report by the Institute for Economics and Peace provides a fact-based understanding of terrorism and its impact.
Although the modern era curse is widespread, more than 80 percent of all deaths from terrorist attacks occur in just five countries, four of which are in Asia: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria. Nigeria is the fifth country.
More than 90 percent of all terrorist attacks occur in countries that have gross human rights violations.
Iraq is the country most impacted by terrorism, where 6,362 people were killed last year in 2,492 terrorist attacks.
In 2013, 24 countries experienced terrorist attacks that killed more than 50 people. There were 75 countries that did not experience a terrorist attack.
Four groups were the main perpetrators of terrorism - the Taliban, Boko Haram, ISIL, and al Qaeda.
'Terrorism doesn't arise on its own; by identifying the factors associated with it, long term policies can be implemented to improve the underlying environment that nurtures terrorism,' according to Steve Killelea, IEP executive chairman. In his opinion, the most significant actions that can be taken are 'to reduce state-sponsored violence, reduce group grievances and hostilities, and improve effective and community-supported policing.'
Poverty rates, levels of schools attendance and most economic factors have no association with terrorism, the study found.
Since the 1960s, 83 percent of terrorist organizations that ended, ceased to operate due to policing or politicization. Only 7 percent stopped terrorist activities due to military intervention.
Although terrorism is on the increase and a major concern compared to other forms of violence, it is relatively small when compared to the 437,000 people killed by homicide in 2013. In the US an individual is 64 times more likely to be victim of a homicide than terrorism.
The Global Terrorism Index has ranked 162 countries, covering 99.6 percent of the world's population, and examined trends from 2000 to 2013.
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