The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026, released by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on March 22, 2026, ranked Pakistan as the world's most terrorism-affected country with a score of 8.574 — surpassing Burkina Faso, which had held the top position for two consecutive years.

Pakistan recorded 1,045 terrorist incidents in 2025, resulting in 1,139 deaths and 1,595 injuries — the highest level of terrorist violence since 2013. Key drivers include the resurgence of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and instability stemming from the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

India ranked 13th on the GTI 2026 with a score of 6.428, improving by two positions from the previous year, recording a 43% fall in terror incidents. The GTI 2026 covers 163 countries representing 99.7% of the world's population. Globally, terrorism-related deaths declined by 28% to 5,582, while incidents fell by 22% to 2,944 — the lowest levels since 2007. Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly the Sahel region, accounts for more than half of global terrorism deaths.

Significance for India: India's improvement in rank reflects security gains particularly in Jammu & Kashmir (post-Article 370 abrogation in 2019) and the Northeast. The GTI is significant for RPSC RAS examinations as it maps to Paper-I topics of India's internal security, foreign policy, and geopolitical challenges in South Asia.