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Global State-Based Conflicts Reach Highest Level Since World War II

Researchers warn the 2025 surge in state-backed wars and mass attacks on civilians will strain aid systems, signaling a more dangerous security baseline.

Overview

  • On Tuesday, PRIO’s Conflict Trends using UCDP figures recorded 65 conflicts in 2025 involving at least one state, the highest tally since 1946.
  • Interstate wars doubled to eight in 2025, the largest number of state‑on‑state conflicts since UCDP began collecting data in 1946.
  • UCDP counted roughly 244,600 battle-related deaths in 2025, with the RussiaUkraine war responsible for about 62 percent of that total and 13 conflicts qualifying as 'wars' (≥1,000 deaths).
  • One-sided killings that target civilians rose to about 76,500 in 2025, an increase of more than 400 percent driven mainly by mass civilian deaths after the fall of El Fasher in Darfur, Sudan.
  • Deaths from non‑state violence fell to roughly 14,500 in 2025, and researchers say the concentration of multiple, high‑intensity state conflicts is stressing humanitarian relief, displacement responses, and diplomatic mechanisms into 2026.