Suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq

Iraq: Suicide and other terrorist attacks was 540 in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
540
Change on year
down 28.7%
World rank
2nd
of 188 countries
All-time high
3,626
in 2014
All-time low
0
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2021

Suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq, 1970–2021

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k197019952021

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq is 540, measured in 2021.

The figure is down 28.7% on the previous year and down 57.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq peaked at 3,626 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1970.

Iraq ranks 2nd of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq, year by year

Annual values for Suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq, 1970 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1970 0 —
1971 0 —
1972 0 —
1973 0 —
1974 0 —
1975 1 —
1976 3 +200.0%
1977 0 -100.0%
1978 0 —
1979 2 —
1980 6 +200.0%
1981 3 -50.0%
1982 5 +66.7%
1983 3 -40.0%
1984 2 -33.3%
1985 0 -100.0%
1986 0 —
1987 3 —
1988 4 +33.3%
1989 4 +0.0%
1990 0 -100.0%
1991 3 —
1992 35 +1066.7%
1994 18 -48.6%
1995 17 -5.6%
1996 12 -29.4%
1997 21 +75.0%
1998 7 -66.7%
1999 11 +57.1%
2000 10 -9.1%
2001 3 -70.0%
2002 6 +100.0%
2003 82 +1266.7%
2004 250 +204.9%
2005 451 +80.4%
2006 739 +63.9%
2007 838 +13.4%
2008 1,000 +19.3%
2009 1,081 +8.1%
2010 1,129 +4.4%
2011 1,262 +11.8%
2012 1,368 +8.4%
2013 2,579 +88.5%
2014 3,626 +40.6%
2015 2,406 -33.6%
2016 2,941 +22.2%
2017 2,210 -24.9%
2018 1,300 -41.2%
2019 614 -52.8%
2020 757 +23.3%
2021 540 -28.7%

Iraq compared with similar countries

  • Iraq's 540 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4, 135.0× the median. (21 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq 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
2003 +1266.7% 6 82
1992 +1066.7% 3 35

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.6 0 3 10
1980s 3 0 6 10
1990s 13.78 0 35 9
2000s 446 3 1,081 10
2010s 1,944 614 3,626 10
2020s 648.5 540 757 2

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 1 Afghanistan 1,421 compare
  2. 3 Nigeria 445 compare
  3. 4 Yemen 290 compare
  4. 5 India 235 compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More health data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq?
Suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq was 540 in 2021, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest suicide and other terrorist attacks recorded in Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 3,626 in 2014.
What is the lowest suicide and other terrorist attacks recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1970.
How does Iraq rank for suicide and other terrorist attacks?
Iraq ranks 2nd out of 188 countries with data for 2021.
Is suicide and other terrorist attacks rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is down 57.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iraq data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Suicide and other terrorist attacks. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Suicide and other terrorist attacks in Iraq. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/suicide-and-other-terrorist-attacks/iraq/

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About this data

Indicator
Suicide and other terrorist attacks
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
188 places, 9,021 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed