Global Terrorism Index: Armenia Ranked Among World’s Safest Countries

YEREVAN (Armradio.am) — 2015 Global Terrorism Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace rates Armenia as one of the safest countries in the world in terms of potential terrorist threats.

Armenia is ranked 116th among 162 countries, where a lower place means less danger in terms of terrorism.

Armenia’s neighbors in the region are placed as follows: Georgia – 71th, Turkey – 27th, Azerbaijan – 93rd and Iran – 39th.

Armenia’s partners in the Eurasian Economic Union Russia and Belarus are ranked 23rd and 77th respectively, Kazakhstan is 83rd, Kyrgyzstan is 86th.

The Global Terrorism Index provides a detailed analysis of the changing trends in terrorism across 162 countries over the last 15 years. It investigates the patterns of terrorism by geographic activity, methods of attack, organizations involved and national economic and political contexts.

According to the report, the number of lives lost to terrorism increased by 80% in 2014, reaching the highest level ever recorded at 32,658. This compares to 18,111 in 2013. According to the third edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), out today, this increase represents the largest yearly increase in deaths ever recorded. The report also highlights the dramatic rise in terrorism over time, with deaths increasing by nine-fold since the year 2000.

The report, developed by the Institute for Economics and Peace and based on data from the Global Terrorism Database of START, reveals that just two terrorist groups, ISIL and Boko Haram, are now jointly responsible for 51% of all global fatalities from claimed terrorist attacks. Boko Haram, which pledged its allegiance to ISIL as the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) in March 2015, has become the world’s deadliest terrorist group, causing 6,644 deaths compared to ISIL’s 6,073.