News Center- The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) has released a report based on data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

In 2024, 61 conflicts were recorded across 36 countries, the highest number of state-based armed conflicts in over seven decades, according to the report.

“This is not just a spike – it’s a structural shift. The world today is far more violent, and far more fragmented, than it was a decade ago,” warned Siri Aas Rustad, Research Director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and lead author of the report.

“Now is not the time for the United States – or any global power – to retreat from international engagement. Isolationism in the face of rising global violence would be a profound mistake with long-term human life consequences.”

According to the report, Africa remained the most conflict-affected region last year, with 28 state-based conflicts recorded, nearly double the number from a decade earlier. Asia followed with 17, the Middle East with 10, Europe with three and the Americas with two.

2024 was the fourth most deadly year since the Cold War ended in 1989

The report shows that while the number of battle-related deaths in 2024 held steady at approximately 129,000 – matching the devastating toll of 2023 – this level of violence was far above the average for the past three decades. 2024 was the fourth most deadly year since the Cold War ended in 1989.

“Conflicts are no longer isolated. They’re layered, transnational and increasingly difficult to end,” said Siri Aas Rustad. “It is a mistake to assume the world can look away. Whether under President Trump or any future administration, abandoning global solidarity now would mean walking away from the very stability the U.S. helped build after 1945.”