Terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries was 40 attacks in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
40 attacks
Change on year
down 55.6%
World rank
20th
of 187 countries
All-time high
292 attacks
in 1972
All-time low
5 attacks
in 2004
Years of data
51
1970–2021

Terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries in United Kingdom, 1970–2021

0100200300197019952021

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

United Kingdom recorded 40 attacks for terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 55.6% on the previous year and down 14.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries in United Kingdom peaked at 292 attacks in 1972 and was at its lowest, 5 attacks, in 2004.

That places United Kingdom 20th out of 187 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 164.4 attacks 12 attacks 292 attacks 10
1980s 131.5 attacks 67 attacks 180 attacks 10
1990s 134.89 attacks 22 attacks 274 attacks 9
2000s 32.5 attacks 5 attacks 94 attacks 10
2010s 92.5 attacks 47 attacks 136 attacks 10
2020s 65 attacks 40 attacks 90 attacks 2

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 17 Cameroon 46 attacks compare
  2. 18 Chile 45 attacks compare
  3. 19 Mozambique 41 attacks compare
  4. 21 Niger 38 attacks compare
  5. 22 Ethiopia 36 attacks compare
  6. 23 Kenya 33 attacks compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries in United Kingdom?
Terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries in United Kingdom was 40 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, deaths and injuries recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 292 attacks in 1972.
What is the lowest terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 5 attacks in 2004.
How does United Kingdom rank for terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries?
United Kingdom ranks 20th out of 187 countries with data for 2021.
Is terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom 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, deaths and injuries. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Terrorist attacks, deaths and injuries
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
188 places, 9,021 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Total number of terrorist attacks.