Global violence reaches record levels in 2026
Attacks on civilians have driven worldwide violence to its highest recorded level. Data from an academic research program document the increase through 2025.
Attacks on civilians have driven global violence to record levels, according to data compiled through 2025. The figures come from an annual tally maintained by Uppsala University researchers that tracks organized violence and one-sided attacks on noncombatants.
Data and trends The same dataset shows that the number of conflicts involving states or organized groups rose for the third consecutive year. One-sided violence against civilians accounted for a growing share of total fatalities, the researchers reported.
reported the findings on June 9, 2026, during its Morning Edition broadcast. The program interviewed a researcher affiliated with the Uppsala program about the methodology and scope of the data.
