I built this Tableau dashboard using data from the University of Maryland’s Global Terrorism Database to explore key patterns in terrorism incidents over time. I focused on fatalities, regional impact, ransom activity, and the deadliest terror groups to better understand where, how, and to what extent terrorism has left its mark globally.
(Summary of dashboard insights below visualization)
Dashboard Key Insights
The timeline shows a sharp rise in terrorism fatalities after 2010, with a peak around 2014. While incidents remain high, the number of deaths has gradually declined since then.
A global heatmap reveals that the most intense activity is concentrated in the Middle East, South Asia, and parts of Africa. A large number of fatalities are linked to a few major groups, including ISIS, the Taliban, and Boko Haram, with many incidents attributed to unknown actors.
Ransom patterns show the Middle East and North Africa lead in both demands and payouts, while Western Europe shows high demands but fewer payouts. Other regions see lower ransom activity overall.
Fatalities by region reflect these trends. The Middle East, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa report consistently high death tolls, while regions like North America and East Asia show much smaller numbers with occasional spikes.
This snapshot gives a clearer view of how terrorism has evolved, where it’s most active, and the regions most affected by violence and ransom activity.