Global Terrorism Index 2026 ranks Azerbaijan among safest countries

The latest ranking of countries under the Global Terrorism Index (GTI 2026), which assesses the level of terrorist threat worldwide, has been released.

According to the ranking, cited by Caliber.Az, the highest levels of terrorist activity and threat are recorded in Pakistan (8.574), Burkina Faso (8.324), and Niger (7.816).

Syria ranks 6th (7.38), Israel 10th (6.79), Afghanistan 11th (6.678), India 13th (6.428), Russia 17th (5.593), Iran 18th (5.477), the United States 28th (4.521), Germany 29th (4.447), France 35th (3.224), Türkiye 36th (3.212), China 54th (1.311), Switzerland 67th (0.749), the United Arab Emirates 68th (0.749), Georgia 77th (0.506), and Armenia 81st (0.483).

Azerbaijan, which ranked 90th last year with an index of 0.233, improved its position by three places this year, ranking 93rd with an index of 0.123, and is categorised among the safest countries in the world.

It is noted that the GTI ranking is calculated based on factors such as the number of terrorist incidents, fatalities, severity of consequences, number of hostages, counterterrorism efforts, effectiveness of investigations, and other indicators. The reports, regularly published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), serve as a reference for the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank, and other international and academic institutions. They are also considered an important factor in attracting foreign investment.

According to international reports, despite Azerbaijan’s location in a geopolitically sensitive region with elevated risks of terrorism and sabotage driven by religious, political, national, and other motives, the country has in recent years achieved a high level of internal security due to effective domestic and foreign policy, stability, development, and the work of its security institutions.

To recall, the President of Azerbaijan has emphasised that "issues of security and stability and safety should be number one on the agenda of any country, because without that all the rest is absolutely useless".

By Tamilla Hasanova