Global Conflicts Reach Post-WWII High; Israel Named Biggest Aggressor

The world is facing an unprecedented level of conflict since the end of World War II, with 2025 marking a record high of 65 state-involved conflicts, according to a study by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). This surge in global instability is the highest number recorded since 1946.

The PRIO study, titled "Conflict Trends," identifies Israel as the primary aggressor in the current global landscape. Researchers also point to the United States as a significant contributor to the escalating trend in conflicts. "Israel is clearly one of the most aggressive countries in the world right now," stated Siri Aas Rustad, a PRIO researcher, highlighting Israel's involvement in conflicts across Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and against Iran and Houthi rebels.

Rustad further commented on the broader geopolitical tensions, noting, "There are clearly more tensions in the world. The United States is also largely responsible for that. They are not only attacking and escalating violence since Donald Trump is back in power." The study's findings are based on data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) at Uppsala University in Sweden.

The past five years, from 2021 to 2025, have been the most violent since the Cold War, with over 930,000 people killed in conflicts. In 2025 alone, approximately 245,000 lives were lost. Major contributors to this death toll include the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. The conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in 2021 also resulted in over 288,000 fatalities. The Gaza conflict alone has claimed an estimated 70,000 lives since 2023, while the war in Ukraine has caused an estimated 370,000 war-related deaths between 2022 and 2025.