Number of terrorist attacks in China

China: Number of terrorist attacks was 5 attacks in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
5 attacks
Change on year
down 76.2%
World rank
47th
of 188 countries
All-time high
62 attacks
in 1996
All-time low
0 attacks
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2021

Number of terrorist attacks in China, 1970–2021

0204060197019952021

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

The most recent figure for number of terrorist attacks in China is 5 attacks, measured in 2021.

The figure is down 76.2% on the previous year and up 25.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of terrorist attacks in China peaked at 62 attacks in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0 attacks, in 1970.

China ranks 47th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Number of terrorist attacks in China, year by year

Annual values for Number of terrorist attacks in China, 1970 to 2021.
Year attacks Change
1970 0 attacks
1971 0 attacks
1972 0 attacks
1973 0 attacks
1974 0 attacks
1975 0 attacks
1976 0 attacks
1977 0 attacks
1978 0 attacks
1979 0 attacks
1980 0 attacks
1981 0 attacks
1982 0 attacks
1983 0 attacks
1984 0 attacks
1985 0 attacks
1986 0 attacks
1987 0 attacks
1988 0 attacks
1989 3 attacks
1990 1 attacks -66.7%
1991 1 attacks +0.0%
1992 5 attacks +400.0%
1994 13 attacks +160.0%
1995 8 attacks -38.5%
1996 62 attacks +675.0%
1997 18 attacks -71.0%
1998 2 attacks -88.9%
1999 2 attacks +0.0%
2000 4 attacks +100.0%
2001 12 attacks +200.0%
2002 2 attacks -83.3%
2003 3 attacks +50.0%
2004 2 attacks -33.3%
2005 1 attacks -50.0%
2006 0 attacks -100.0%
2007 0 attacks
2008 20 attacks
2009 7 attacks -65.0%
2010 1 attacks -85.7%
2011 4 attacks +300.0%
2012 4 attacks +0.0%
2013 12 attacks +200.0%
2014 37 attacks +208.3%
2015 17 attacks -54.1%
2016 5 attacks -70.6%
2017 6 attacks +20.0%
2018 1 attacks -83.3%
2019 14 attacks +1300.0%
2020 21 attacks +50.0%
2021 5 attacks -76.2%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Number of terrorist attacks in China 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
2019 +1300.0% 1 attacks 14 attacks

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0 attacks 0 attacks 0 attacks 10
1980s 0.3 attacks 0 attacks 3 attacks 10
1990s 12.44 attacks 1 attacks 62 attacks 9
2000s 5.1 attacks 0 attacks 20 attacks 10
2010s 10.1 attacks 1 attacks 37 attacks 10
2020s 13 attacks 5 attacks 21 attacks 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 44 Libya 8 attacks compare
  2. 45 Burundi 6 attacks compare
  3. 45 Netherlands 6 attacks compare
  4. 47 Peru 5 attacks compare
  5. 47 Sweden 5 attacks compare
  6. 50 Brazil 4 attacks compare
  7. 50 Djibouti 4 attacks compare
  8. 50 Iran 4 attacks compare
  9. 50 Tunisia 4 attacks compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of terrorist attacks in China?
Number of terrorist attacks in China was 5 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 number of terrorist attacks recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 62 attacks in 1996.
What is the lowest number of terrorist attacks recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 0 attacks in 1970.
How does China rank for number of terrorist attacks?
China ranks 47th out of 188 countries with data for 2021.
Is number of terrorist attacks rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China 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 Number of terrorist attacks. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of terrorist attacks in China. 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/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of terrorist attacks
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.