The past year saw a decrease in the overall deaths from terrorism despite new countries experiencing attacks. It saw ISIS lose its territory while far-right terrorism rose substantially—particularly in Europe. Detailed analysis on how terrorism is changing continues to be invaluable for policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and citizens. The seventh annual edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) provides these vital insights, which allow the counterterrorism community to adapt its strategies to reflect current realities in preventing terrorism and promoting peace.

Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the GTI provides a comprehensive summary of key global trends on terrorism from 1970 to the end of 2018, with a focus from 2014 onwards, which captures the formation and decline of ISIS. This critical information assists those looking to understand the complex dynamics of terrorism—especially how it changes over time—and helps governments to design policies and programs that best mitigate violent extremism, as well as dispel myths about terrorism and highlight real global threats. 

On December 10, USIP and the Institute for Economics and Peace held a discussion on the seventh annual GTI, including a discussion on how data can help shape counterterrorism policy. Speakers addressed key findings from the report, explored specific trends in terrorism research, and discussed the impact of this data on the decision-making process for policy, practice, and research. Take part in the conversation on Twitter with #GlobalTerrorismIndex.

Participants

Aleksandra Dier
Gender Coordinator, United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED)

Ryan Greer 
Director, Program Assessment and Strategy at the Anti-Defamation League 

Erin Miller
Principal Investigator, Global Terrorism Database, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism

Serge Stroobants 
Director of Operations, Europe & MENA, Institute for Economics and Peace

Leanne Erdberg, moderator
Director of Countering Violent Extremism, USIP

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