2024: The Most Violent Year Since World War II

2024 broke the record for the highest number of armed conflicts globally since World War ii, according to data reported by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program on Wednesday.

• The organization recorded 61 active conflicts involving at least one nation in 2024, up from the previous record of 59 in 2023.
• 11 of these active conflicts escalated into full-scale war with more than 1,000 people killed.
• An estimated 160,000 people died in organized violence in 2024.

Slightly fewer total deaths were recorded in 2024 than 2023, despite the increasing number of active conflicts.

World at war: The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza continue to take a serious toll on human life. Tensions are worsening across the Middle East and in the South China Sea. Disastrous wars continue to wreak destruction across African nations.

The Peace Research Institute Oslo (prio) analyzed the new data, saying: “This is not just a spike—it’s a structural shift. The world today is far more violent, and far more fragmented, than it was a decade ago.”

Conflicts are no longer isolated. They’re layered, transnational and increasingly difficult to end. It is a mistake to assume the world can look away. Whether under President Trump or any future administration, abandoning global solidarity now would mean walking away from the very stability the U.S. helped build after 1945.
—Siri Aas Rustad, prio research director

https://twitter.com/PRIOresearch/status/1932676235546513767

No sign of peace: Even while the United States promotes peace negotiations with various nations around the world, it is at the same time stepping back from its role as global leader.

These efforts to foster peace are producing little, if any, fruit. Iran continues to pursue nuclear bombs, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has made evident that he does not want peace with Ukraine.

Prophetic perspective: The Bible foretells of a time of “wars and rumours of wars” prior to Jesus Christ’s return (Matthew 24:6). This alarming trend contributes to a coming global war that will affect all people in the world.

To understand what lies ahead, read The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.