2025 was a record year for the number of armed conflicts worldwide
The Uppsala Conflict Data Project (UCDP) at Uppsala University has reported that in 2025, 65 armed conflicts were recorded worldwide in which states were involved on one or both sides. This is the highest figure since records began in 1946.
The number of interstate conflicts rose to eight. By comparison, there were two such conflicts in 2023. According to the researchers, this is a record figure for the entire period of observation. This category includes the war between Russia and Ukraine, the war between Iran and Israel, as well as conflicts between India and Pakistan and between Israel and Syria.
UCDP Senior Analyst Sean Davis noted that for a long time, wars between states remained a relatively rare phenomenon, but recent events point to rising international tensions and shifts in the global security order.
Of the 65 recorded conflicts, 13 were classified as wars, i.e. those resulting in at least 1,000 combat deaths during the calendar year. This is the highest figure since 1992.
According to UCDP estimates, around 244,600 people died as a result of organised violence in 2025. This is the second deadliest year on record since the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
Teresa Pettersson, a senior analyst and project lead at the UCDP, emphasised that not only had the number of conflicts increased, but so too had the level of lethal violence. There was a particularly sharp rise in attacks against the civilian population, particularly in Sudan.
The deadliest conflict in the world in 2025 remained the war between Russia and Ukraine. According to the researchers, at least 94,700 people died in it, accounting for approximately 62% of all combat deaths worldwide.
The war between Israel and Hamas and the war in Sudan were also cited among the bloodiest conflicts of the year. In Sudan, according to the UCDP, violence against civilians rose sharply following the capture of the city of El Fasher in Darfur by the paramilitary group Sudan Founding Alliance.
In total, around 76,500 deaths from unilateral violence were recorded in 2025, which is more than 400% higher than the previous year’s figure and the highest level since 1994.
At the same time, the number of conflicts between non-state groups continued to decline. Researchers estimate that such conflicts, particularly between drug cartels in Mexico, caused around 14,500 deaths in 2025. This is the lowest figure since 2013.
