World conflicts hit record high in 2025: report
Key takeaways
- There were more state conflicts in 2025 than at any other time since World War II, a new study has found.
- The annual "Conflict Trends” report from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) found that 2025 was also the third-deadliest year for conflict since the Cold War, with more deaths only in 1994 and 2021.
- "Usually I'm able to sort of squeeze something positive out of it, but this year it's shocking, the numbers," researcher Siri Aas Rustad told reporters.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
There were more state conflicts in 2025 than at any other time since World War II, a new study has found. Last year was also the third deadliest since the end of the Cold War.
https://p.dw.com/p/5F2v KRussia's ongoing war in Ukraine is one reason 2025 was such a deadly year for conflicts Image: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout/REUTERSAdvertisement There were 65 conflicts involving at least one state recorded worldwide last year, a new high since 1946, according to a study published Tuesday.
The annual "Conflict Trends” report from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) found that 2025 was also the third-deadliest year for conflict since the Cold War, with more deaths only in 1994 and 2021.