365 Conflicts Globally
The Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research Publishes the Conflict Barometer 2024
The short version of the Conflict Barometer 2024 can be downloaded here: short version
With the 33rd edition of the Conflict Barometer, the Heidelberg Institute for International
Conflict Research (HIIK) continues its annual study on global conflict.
Since 1992, the Conflict Barometer has qualitatively and quantitatively recorded the dynamics
of political conflicts, both violent and non-violent, worldwide. In accordance with the HIIK
methodology, violent conflicts are classified according to their intensity into violent crises
(intensity 3), limited wars (intensity 4), and wars (intensity 5). Non-violent conflicts are
divided into disputes (intensity 1) and non-violent crises (intensity 2). The annual report is
supplemented by conflict maps, graphics, and datasets as well as Spotlight texts that shed light
on the wider context of current conflict dynamics.
In 2024, the HIIK documented a total of 365 conflicts worldwide, an overall increase of four
conflicts. Of these, 209 were violent (accounting to 57 percent) and 156 non-violent. While
48 conflicts escalated and 53 de-escalated, 264 conflicts remained with the same intensity as
in 2023. The HIIK opened three new conflicts in 2024 and five more retroactively.
Compared to the previous year, the number of wars rose from 21 to 27. The Ethiopia (Fano
militias / Amhara) conflict, the inter-communal rivalry conflict in Sudan, various conflicts in
Myanmar (four in total), as well as the Israel – Lebanon conflict, the opposition conflict in
Syria, and the Syria (SDF – Türkiye / Northern Syria) conflict escalated into wars. One war
de-escalated, while 18 wars continued. The number of limited wars increased by one from 22
to 23 in 2024.
The number of non-violent conflicts rose from 139 to 156. Twelve conflicts were settled by
the conflict parties themselves or closed due to inactivity.
As in previous years, the most common types of conflict were intrastate (242 conflicts),
followed by interstate conflicts (60 conflicts), substate (47 conflicts), and transstate conflicts
(16 conflicts). While the number of intrastate conflicts increased by three, interstate and
transstate conflicts remained constant compared to the previous year. Substate conflicts, in
contrast, decreased by one. The most common of the ten methodically followed conflict
items, material or immaterial goods which are sought by the direct conflict actors through
conflict measures, were system/ideology (in 162 conflicts), resources (in 104 conflicts), and
subnational predominance (in 92 conflicts).
Once again, sub-Saharan Africa was the region with the most wars. A total of 15 wars were
observed in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia,
Sudan, and South Sudan, two more compared to the previous year. 13 of these wars maintained
their intensity from the previous year, while two conflicts escalated to wars. A total of 88
conflicts were observed in sub-Saharan Africa (an increase of one), 63 of which were violent,
four more violent conflicts compared to the previous year. Moreover, ten limited wars were
observed in 2024, as many as in 2023.
In the West Asia, North Africa and Afghanistan region, the number of wars rose from three
to five compared to the previous year; the number of limited wars remained constant with five
observed. Three wars involved Israel, in relation to Hamas et al., Lebanon, and the State of
Palestine°. The other two wars were fought in Syria, in the opposition conflict and in the SDF
– Türkiye / Northern Syria conflict. A total of 66 conflicts were observed in the region, 44
were violent. In total, conflicts increased by two in the region.
In Asia and Oceania, the number of observed wars rose three to five compared to the previous
year, all five of which involved Myanmar; the number of limited wars rose from four to five.
Overall, the highest number of global conflicts of the year was observed in the region: 102, of
which 55 were violent and 47 non-violent, and thus a total increase of three conflicts to the
previous year, but six less violent conflicts.
In Europe, only one war, being the Russia-Ukraine war, and no limited wars were observed.
As in 2023, in total, 46 conflicts were observed in the region, twelve of which were violent,
which shows a decrease of five violent conflicts.
In the Americas, the number of wars and limited wars remained constant with one war in
Haiti, and three limited wars in Colombia (2) and Mexico. Just like in 2023, a total of 63
conflicts were observed in the region, 35 of which were violent, five less than in the previous
year.
December 19, 2025
The HIIK Board