Number of conflicts between states reaches highest level since World War II

Number of conflicts between states reaches highest level since World War II Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor The number of conflicts between states continued to increase sharply in 2025 and has now reached the highest level since World War II. At the same time, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) at Uppsala University registered a record total number of armed conflicts. In 2025, the number of interstate conflicts doubled for the second year in a row, from two in 2023 to eight in 2025. This is the highest figure since UCDP began collecting data in 1946. The conflicts include the wars between Russia and Ukraine and between Iran and Israel, as well as the conflicts between India and Pakistan and between Israel and Syria. "We see a clear increase in conflicts between states. For a long time, wars between states have been relatively uncommon, but developments in recent years indicate increased international tensions and changes in the global security order," says Shawn Davies, senior analyst at UCDP. A detailed analysis of the data for 2025 is published in the Journal of Peace Research. Sharp increase in number of fatalities In all, UCDP registered 65 conflicts in which states were involved on one or both sides during 2025, which is also the highest number since statistics began to be recorded in 1946. Thirteen of these conflicts were classified as wars, which means they caused at least 1,000 battle-related deaths in a calendar year. This is the highest number since 1992. The number of fatalities also increased sharply during the year among both combatants and civilians. In all, around 244,600 people were killed in organized violence in 2025, making it the second-bloodiest year since the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. "It's not just a matter of more conflicts, but also of very high levels of deadly violence. Above all, we see a dramatic increase in violence targeting civilians, especially in Sudan," says Therese Pettersson, senior analyst and project leader at UCDP. 94,700 dead in war between Russia and Ukraine The war between Russia and Ukraine continued to be the world's deadliest conflict in 2025. UCDP registered at least 94,700 fatalities, accounting for about 62% of all battle-related deaths worldwide. The war between Israel and Hamas and the war in Sudan were also among the deadliest conflicts in the world during the year. In Sudan, moreover, one-sided violence against civilians increased sharply. Extensive massacres of civilians are reported to have taken place following the conquest of the city of El Fasher in Darfur by the paramilitary Sudan Founding Alliance (SFA). "Civilians have been subjected to very extensive violence during the war in Sudan since 2023, but the events in El Fasher in 2025 stand out even in a historical perspective. They are the major reason why the number of deaths from one-sided violence reached the highest level in more than 30 years," Pettersson explains. UCDP registered a total of around 76,500 deaths from one-sided violence in 2025, an increase of more than 400% compared with the previous year. This is the highest level since 1994. Despite the increased number of conflicts involving states, the number of non-state conflicts continued to decrease. Conflicts between non-state groups, such as drug cartels in Mexico, caused a total of around 14,500 deaths in 2025, the lowest figure since 2013. More information Organized violence 1989–2025, and violent political protests, Journal of Peace Research (2026). DOI: 10.1093/jopres/xjag046 Provided by Uppsala University