Terrorism’s data retreat hides emerging global threats

At first glance, the macroeconomic indicators of global security offer a rare moment of statistical comfort. Recent reports suggest that global terrorism experienced a noteworthy decline in 2025, with fatalities around the world falling to 5,582 across 2,944 recorded incidents — representing a 28% drop in deaths and a 22% reduction in overall attacks. With as many as 81 nations registering measurable improvements in their domestic security landscapes, a superficial reading of the data might suggest that the international community is finally turning the tide against terror, or as the strategists prefer to call it, asymmetric warfare.