Terrorist attacks by region in Iraq

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

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

Terrorist attacks by region in Iraq, 1992–2021

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k1992200620211992: 35 attacks1994: 18 attacks1995: 17 attacks1996: 12 attacks1997: 21 attacks1998: 7 attacks1999: 12 attacks2000: 10 attacks2001: 3 attacks2002: 6 attacks2003: 102 attacks2004: 323 attacks2005: 617 attacks2006: 837 attacks2007: 1.0k attacks2008: 1.1k attacks2009: 1.1k attacks2010: 1.2k attacks2011: 1.3k attacks2012: 1.4k attacks2013: 2.9k attacks2014: 3.9k attacks2015: 2.8k attacks2016: 3.4k attacks2017: 2.5k attacks2018: 1.4k attacks2019: 644 attacks2020: 764 attacks2021: 547 attacks

Source: National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in attacks.

Analysis

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

Iraq compared with similar countries

  • Iraq's 547 attacks is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4 attacks, 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 attacks 102 attacks

Averages by decade

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

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 1 Afghanistan 1,453 attacks compare
  2. 3 Nigeria 448 attacks compare
  3. 4 Yemen 290 attacks compare
  4. 5 India 235 attacks 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 attacks in 2021, according to National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest terrorist attacks by region recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 3,934 attacks in 2014.
What is the lowest terrorist attacks by region recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 3 attacks 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 National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) (2022) – with major processing by 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 National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/terrorist-attacks-by-region/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator
Terrorist attacks by region
Unit
attacks
Source
National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) (2022) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
187 places, 5,394 data points, 1992–2021
Last refreshed

Total number of terrorist attacks.