Record number killed by terrorists in 2014

In comparison, IS is believed to have killed 6,073 people in the same period. Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the group, also known as the Islamic State, in March of this year.

Over the years, the report said, Nigeria witnessed a 300 per cent rise in fatalities from terror acts to 7,512 – which was described as the largest increase in terrorist-caused deaths ever recorded by any country.

“But even more troublesome is the number of countries that suffered more than 500 deaths”, Killelea told DW.

“The significant increase in terrorist activity has meant that its ramifications are being felt more widely throughout the world”. In non-OECD countries, terrorism shows stronger associations with ongoing conflict, corruption and violence.

According to the IEP report, terrorism costs have increased tenfold since 2000, reaching $52.9bn (£34.4bn), an increase of 61% from $32.9bn in 2013.

Iraq is still the country most affected by terrorism with about 9,000 casualties, the highest ever recorded in a single country.

Killelea said 10 of the 11 nations most affected by terrorism were also among those with the highest rates of refugees and internal displacement. In the West the youth unemployment, drug crime and other such socio-economic factors correlate to it.

“This highlights the strong interconnectedness between the current refugee crisis, terrorism and conflict”, he said.

It also lists the Philippines as among the countries where foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria come from, a claim being repeatedly denied by the authorities.

The study said 78 percent of the deaths and 57 percent of the attacks occurred in five countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria. Over 7,000 foreign fighters arrived in Iraq and Syria in the first six months of 2015.

Steve Killelea commented, “Since we can see a number of clearly identifiable socio-political factors that foster terrorism, it is important to implement policies that aim to address these associated causes”.

Meanwhile in the West, lone wolf attackers are the main perpetrators of terrorist activity, causing 70% of all deaths over the past 10 years.

Western states were much less at risk from attacks, which were most likely to be perpetrated by lone wolves driven by political extremism, nationalism or racial and religious supremacy rather than Islamic fundamentalism, according to the study.

The UK ranked 28th in the index – higher than the United States, Iran and France, although the report did not include the impact of the Paris attacks in which 129 people were killed.