ABSTRACT

This chapter reports results from the latest available version of the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), which includes data on the characteristics of more than 141,000 terrorist attacks that occurred worldwide between 1970 and 2014. The GTD is maintained by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland. To compile the GTD, including identifying and systematically recording details of terrorist attacks, START relies entirely on unclassified sources, primarily print and electronic media articles. One of the most striking features of worldwide terrorism during the past half century is how much it has changed over time and across regions. During the 1980s, the trends and locations of terrorism changed considerably. The annual frequency continued to increase throughout the 1980s until a distinct peak in 1992, with smaller peaks in 1984 and 1989.