State conflicts hit 80-year high in 2025 as deaths near 245,000
What's new: violence against civilians jumped sharply, with massacres in Sudan's El Fasher driving much of the increase.
The world recorded 65 state-based conflicts in 2025, the highest annual total since 1946, according to data compiled by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program and highlighted in a new PRIO report. The number of direct wars between states doubled from a year earlier to eight, including Russia's war in Ukraine, fighting involving Israel, clashes between India and Pakistan, and border violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Conflict-related deaths reached about 244,600, making 2025 the deadliest year since 1994. Researchers said attacks targeting civilians surged to about 76,500 deaths, up from roughly 14,200 in 2024, with Sudan's war and killings in El Fasher accounting for much of the rise.