PRIO study: 2024 was one of the bloodiest years since the end of World War II

According to a new report by the Norwegian Peace Research Institute (PRIO), there will be 61 state-based armed conflicts in 36 countries in 2024 - an all-time anti-record in the last seven decades.

"This is not just a surge, but a structural shift. The world has become much more fragmented and violent than it was a decade ago," said report author and PRIO Research Director Siri Aas Rustavd. She emphasises: now is not the time for the US or any other global power to withdraw from the international arena. "Isolationism against a backdrop of growing violence would be a tragic mistake with long-term consequences for the lives of millions of people."

The report is based on data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Programme. The number of people killed in fighting in 2024 is about 129,000 - the same as in 2023. This is well above the average of the last thirty years and makes 2024 the fourth highest death toll since the end of the Cold War.

Ukraine (76,000 deaths due to Russian aggression) and the Gaza Strip (26,000 casualties) remained the main hotspots. However, the researchers emphasise that the rise in internal conflicts in individual countries is also alarming. More than half of the states with armed clashes are facing two or more conflicts at the same time. Nine countries have three or more.

"Conflicts are no longer isolated. They are multi-layered, transnational and increasingly difficult to end," Rustavd said. "It is a mistake to believe that the world can just turn away. Whether President Trump or anyone else is in power, abandoning global solidarity now would mean abandoning the very stability the U.S. helped build after 1945."

Radical organisations remain a major factor in the escalation. "Islamic State" continues to operate in 12 countries, and the African group JNIM (Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) has expanded its presence to five West African states in 2024.

Africa remains the most conflict-ridden region in 2024, with 28 armed clashes, almost double the number of conflicts a decade ago. This is followed by Asia (17 conflicts), the Middle East (10), Europe (3) and both Americas (2).

The authors emphasise: the global security system is bursting at the seams. Without active international engagement and coordinated efforts, the risks to civilians, regional stability and global order will only increase.