Far-Right Extremism on the Rise Even as Terrorism Deaths Decline, Report Warns

Deaths from terrorism declined worldwide in 2017 for the third straight year, but far-right extremism was found to be on the rise, according to a new report out Wednesday. The 2018 Global Terrorism Index report shows that deaths from terrorism decreased globally by 27 percent last year, CNN reports. Of the 163 countries tracked, 96 saw improvement while 46 saw declines. Sixty-seven countries reported at least one death from terrorism in 2017, a significant drop from 2016’s record high of 79 countries. The index also found an upswing in far-right terrorism. “In the four years between 2013 and 2017, there were 66 deaths and 127 attacks caused in Western Europe and North America by far-right groups and individuals,” the report stated. “The majority of attacks were carried out by lone actors with far-right, white nationalist, or anti-Muslim beliefs.” The index identified 31 far-right extremist attacks and 17 deaths associated with them in 2017 alone.