Terrorist attacks by region in Iraq

Iraq: Terrorist attacks by region was 547 in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
547
Change on year
down 28.4%
World rank
2nd
of 187 countries
All-time high
3,934
in 2014
All-time low
3
in 2001
Years of data
29
1992–2021

Terrorist attacks by region in Iraq, 1992–2021

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k1992200620211992: 351994: 181995: 171996: 121997: 211998: 71999: 122000: 102001: 32002: 62003: 1022004: 3232005: 6172006: 8372007: 1.0k2008: 1.1k2009: 1.1k2010: 1.2k2011: 1.3k2012: 1.4k2013: 2.9k2014: 3.9k2015: 2.8k2016: 3.4k2017: 2.5k2018: 1.4k2019: 6442020: 7642021: 547

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Iraq recorded 547 for terrorist attacks by region in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 28.4% on the previous year and down 58.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, terrorist attacks by region in Iraq peaked at 3,934 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 3, in 2001.

That places Iraq 2nd out of 187 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Terrorist attacks by region in Iraq, year by year

Annual values for Terrorist attacks by region in Iraq, 1992 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1992 35 —
1994 18 -48.6%
1995 17 -5.6%
1996 12 -29.4%
1997 21 +75.0%
1998 7 -66.7%
1999 12 +71.4%
2000 10 -16.7%
2001 3 -70.0%
2002 6 +100.0%
2003 102 +1600.0%
2004 323 +216.7%
2005 617 +91.0%
2006 837 +35.7%
2007 1,045 +24.9%
2008 1,106 +5.8%
2009 1,137 +2.8%
2010 1,179 +3.7%
2011 1,308 +10.9%
2012 1,435 +9.7%
2013 2,852 +98.7%
2014 3,934 +37.9%
2015 2,751 -30.1%
2016 3,395 +23.4%
2017 2,548 -24.9%
2018 1,364 -46.5%
2019 644 -52.8%
2020 764 +18.6%
2021 547 -28.4%

Iraq compared with similar countries

  • Iraq's 547 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4, 136.8× the median. (21 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Terrorist attacks by region in Iraq changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2003 +1600.0% 6 102

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.43 7 35 7
2000s 518.6 3 1,137 10
2010s 2,141 644 3,934 10
2020s 655.5 547 764 2

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 1 Afghanistan 1,453 compare
  2. 3 Nigeria 448 compare
  3. 4 Yemen 290 compare
  4. 5 India 235 compare

See the full ranking of 187 places →

More reference data data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is terrorist attacks by region in Iraq?
Terrorist attacks by region in Iraq was 547 in 2021, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest terrorist attacks by region recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 3,934 in 2014.
What is the lowest terrorist attacks by region recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 3 in 2001.
How does Iraq rank for terrorist attacks by region?
Iraq ranks 2nd out of 187 countries with data for 2021.
Is terrorist attacks by region rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iraq data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Terrorist attacks by region. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Terrorist attacks by region in Iraq. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 14 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/terrorist-attacks-by-region/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator
Terrorist attacks by region
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
187 places, 5,394 data points, 1992–2021
Last refreshed