List of ongoing armed conflicts

Imagine a world map... but instead of borders, it shows the invisible lines of conflict, constantly shifting and redrawing across continents. This isn't just data; it's a stark reminder of the human cost of discord, a chronicle of the battles, large and small, that shape our present. Join us as we explore the rigorous criteria that define these struggles and glimpse the global tapestry of ongoing armed conflicts. Ongoing armed conflicts are precisely defined by the involvement of organized armed groups and a minimum threshold of direct combat-related deaths. These conflicts are categorized by their intensity, ranging from 'major wars' with thousands of annual fatalities to 'skirmishes' with fewer than a hundred. The data, though often incomplete, provides a critical lens through which to understand global instability and the pervasive human toll of violence.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

Ongoing armed conflicts are precisely defined by the involvement of organized armed groups and a minimum threshold of direct combat-related deaths.
These conflicts are categorized by their intensity, ranging from 'major wars' with thousands of annual fatalities to 'skirmishes' with fewer than a hundred.
The data, though often incomplete, provides a critical lens through which to understand global instability and the pervasive human toll of violence.

Defining the Invisible Lines of Conflict

What exactly qualifies as an 'armed conflict' in the modern world? It's more than just isolated acts of violence—it's a sustained struggle involving organized armed groups, whether governmental forces or non-state actors. These groups engage in systematic use of force, creating a devastating ripple effect across regions.

Strict Criteria for Inclusion

To be counted on this global list, a conflict must meet specific, sobering criteria. It must involve armed force between two or more organized groups, and tragically, it must have claimed at least one direct death in the current or previous calendar year. Furthermore, a conflict needs a cumulative total of at least 100 deaths since its inception to be fully recognized.

The casualty figures included are grimly specific: battle-related deaths, encompassing both military personnel and civilians, are counted. This also includes civilians intentionally targeted by any party to the conflict. However, deaths resulting indirectly from conflict—like those from famine or disease—are only factored into the cumulative fatality count, not the annual figures.

Sometimes, precise numbers are impossible to obtain, especially in active conflict zones. In these cases, a plus symbol, like '455+', indicates that the actual death toll is at least that high, reminding us that the full tragedy may often be understated.

It's also important to understand what doesn't qualify. A territorial dispute without systematic violence, or a protest movement, however intense, is not an armed conflict unless it crosses the threshold of deliberate, organized lethal force. The distinction is crucial for accurate assessment of global violence.

Major Wars: The Heaviest Toll

The most devastating category on our list comprises 'Major Wars'—conflicts that have caused 10,000 or more direct, violent deaths in the current or preceding year. These are the large-scale conflagrations that dominate headlines and reshape societies.

As of recent reporting, approximately six such major wars are unfolding globally. For instance, the conflict in Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2014, has tragically seen tens of thousands of fatalities annually, highlighting the immense human cost of interstate warfare.

Other major wars span continents, like the multifaceted conflicts across the Sahel region of Africa, involving many nations, or the long-standing struggles in Myanmar and the Middle East, each with hundreds of thousands of cumulative fatalities over decades.

Minor Wars: Pervasive and Persistent

Below major wars, we find 'Minor Wars'—conflicts resulting in 1,000 to 9,999 direct deaths in the current or previous year. These are still incredibly destructive, often grinding on for years with profound regional impacts, even if they don't always garner global attention.

Currently, around ten such minor wars are active. The ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan, for example, has been active since 1978 and tragically accounts for hundreds of thousands, potentially millions, of cumulative deaths. Similarly, the long-running conflict in Somalia and Kenya continues to claim thousands of lives each year.

North America is not immune, with Mexico's drug conflict—a complex non-state armed conflict—having claimed thousands of lives annually for over a decade, showing that such violence can emerge anywhere.

Conflicts: The Lower-Intensity Scars

The next tier includes 'Conflicts,' defined by 100 to 999 direct deaths in the current or previous year. While numerically smaller in annual fatalities, these still represent significant ongoing violence and instability for the affected communities.

There are roughly nineteen conflicts falling into this category. The long-running disputes in India and Pakistan, dating back to 1947, or the Papua conflict in Indonesia, are examples. They illustrate how historical grievances can continue to flare, causing sustained, if lower-level, loss of life.

Skirmishes and Clashes: A Constant Threat

Finally, 'Skirmishes and Clashes' refer to conflicts with fewer than 100 direct combat-related deaths in the current or previous year. Though fewer lives are lost annually, these situations remain volatile, with potential to escalate, and represent persistent underlying tensions.

About ten conflicts fit this description. The Korean conflict, despite its formal ceasefire in 1953, still sees sporadic incidents along the border. Similarly, the Western Sahara conflict, ongoing since 1970, and various insurgencies in places like Egypt and Paraguay, demonstrate enduring flashpoints where peace remains fragile.

The Global Tapestry of Violence

This sobering list is more than just statistics—it's a critical tool for understanding the state of global security. Each number represents a life, a family, a community irrevocably altered by violence.

The distribution of these conflicts across continents, from Africa to Asia to the Americas, reveals that no single region is immune to the human cost of armed struggle. It's a stark reminder that peace is not merely the absence of war, but a constant, active pursuit.

By categorizing and tracking these conflicts, we gain a clearer picture of global hotspots, the evolving nature of warfare—from interstate battles to complex insurgencies—and the urgent need for diplomatic solutions and humanitarian aid.

Article

List of ongoing armed conflicts

Map of ongoing armed conflicts (number of combat-related deaths in current or previous year): Major wars (10,000 or more) Minor wars (1,000–9,999) Conflicts (100–999) Skirmishes and clashes (1–99)

The following is a list of ongoing armed conflicts that are taking place around the world.

Criteria

List of ongoing armed conflicts

Conflict deaths in the 17 deadliest conflicts 2015–2020

This list of ongoing armed conflicts identifies present-day conflicts and the death toll associated with each conflict. The criteria of inclusion are the following:

• Armed conflicts consist in the use of armed force between two or more organized armed groups, governmental or non-governmental. Interstate, intrastate and non-state armed conflicts are listed.

• Fatality figures include battle-related deaths (military and civilian) as well as civilians intentionally targeted by the parties to an armed conflict. Only direct deaths resulting from violence are included for the current and previous year; excess deaths indirectly resulting from famine, disease, or disruption of services are included along with violent deaths in the cumulative fatalities count when available. • Listed conflicts have at least 100 cumulative deaths in total and at least 1 death in current or in the past calendar year. • Fatality totals may be inaccurate or unavailable due to a lack of information. A figure with a plus symbol, indicates that at least that many people have died (e.g. 455+ indicates that at least 455 people have died). • Location refers to the states where the main violence takes place, not to the warring parties. Italics indicate disputed territories and unrecognized states. • A territorial dispute or a protest movement which has not experienced deliberate and systematic deaths due to state or paramilitary violence is not considered to be an armed conflict.

List of current wars and conflicts

Major wars (10,000 or more combat-related deaths in current or previous year)

The 8 conflicts in the following list have caused at least 10,000 direct, violent deaths per year in battles between identified groups, in the current or previous calendar year.

Minor wars (1,000–9,999 combat-related deaths in current or previous year)

The 12 conflicts in the following list have caused at least 1,000 and fewer than 10,000 direct, violent deaths in the current or previous calendar year. Conflicts causing at least 1,000 deaths in one calendar year are considered wars by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program.

<table><thead><tr><th>Start of conflict</th><th>Conflict</th><th>Continent</th><th>Location</th><th>Cumulative fatalities</th><th>2025 fatalities</th><th>2026 fatalities</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1918</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Iran Iraq Turkey</td><td>47,900+</td><td>63</td><td>7,045+</td></tr><tr><td>1961</td><td></td><td>Africa</td><td>Ethiopia Eritrea Somalia Sudan</td><td>500,000–616,300+</td><td>6,316</td><td>4,280</td></tr><tr><td>1964</td><td></td><td>South America</td><td>Colombia Venezuela Ecuador</td><td>460,300+</td><td>2,728</td><td>1,383</td></tr><tr><td>1978</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Afghanistan Pakistan Tajikistan</td><td>380,000–2,805,000+</td><td>4,409</td><td>3,681</td></tr><tr><td>1993</td><td></td><td>South America</td><td>Ecuador Colombia</td><td>13,000+</td><td>4,051</td><td>2,306</td></tr><tr><td>1998</td><td></td><td>Africa</td><td>Nigeria Niger Cameroon Chad</td><td>107,300+</td><td>3,200</td><td>3,100</td></tr><tr><td>2010</td><td></td><td>South America</td><td>Venezuela Colombia</td><td>460,300+</td><td>2,602</td><td>331</td></tr><tr><td>2011</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Yemen Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Israel</td><td>384,900</td><td>2,895</td><td>1,185</td></tr><tr><td>2011</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Syria Israel Lebanon Iraq Turkey</td><td>664,800+</td><td>8,330–8,600+</td><td>1,418</td></tr><tr><td>2012</td><td></td><td>Africa</td><td>Cameroon Nigeria Niger Chad</td><td>11,000+</td><td>1,826</td><td>1,222</td></tr><tr><td>2012</td><td></td><td>Africa</td><td>Central African Republic Cameroon Democratic Republic of the Congo South Sudan</td><td>16,300+</td><td>1,276</td><td>393</td></tr><tr><td>2018</td><td></td><td>North America</td><td>Haiti</td><td>25,000+</td><td>4,792</td><td>1,834</td></tr></tbody></table>

Conflicts (100–999 combat-related deaths in current or previous year)

The 16 conflicts in the following list have caused at least 100, and fewer than 1,000, direct, violent deaths in the current or previous calendar year.

<table><thead><tr><th>Start of conflict</th><th>Conflict</th><th>Continent</th><th>Location</th><th>Cumulative fatalities</th><th>2025 fatalities</th><th>2026 fatalities</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1918</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Iran Iraq Syria Turkey</td><td>135,950–178,450+</td><td>300</td><td>40+</td></tr><tr><td>1943</td><td>Jamaican political conflict</td><td>North America</td><td>Jamaica</td><td>1,900+</td><td>290</td><td>171</td></tr><tr><td>1947</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>India Pakistan China</td><td>202,200–2,000,000</td><td>975</td><td>175</td></tr><tr><td>1948</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Pakistan Afghanistan Iran</td><td>23,100+</td><td>985</td><td>985</td></tr><tr><td>1954</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>India Myanmar Bhutan</td><td>81,400</td><td>980</td><td>410</td></tr><tr><td>1962</td><td>Papua conflict</td><td>Oceania</td><td>Indonesia</td><td>100,400–500,000</td><td>257</td><td>203</td></tr><tr><td>1969</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Philippines</td><td>166,600–245,200</td><td>536</td><td>284</td></tr><tr><td>1972</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Turkey Syria Iraq</td><td>138,000+</td><td>300</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>1972</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Bangladesh Myanmar India</td><td>80,100+</td><td>368</td><td>233</td></tr><tr><td>1975</td><td>Cabinda War</td><td>Africa</td><td>Angola</td><td>30,200</td><td>200</td><td>17</td></tr><tr><td>1988</td><td>Ethnic violence in Papua New Guinea</td><td>Oceania</td><td>Papua New Guinea</td><td>15,400–20,000</td><td>142</td><td>132</td></tr><tr><td>1992</td><td>Brazilian drug war</td><td>South America</td><td>Brazil Argentina Bolivia Colombia Peru Paraguay Venezuela French Guiana</td><td>50,000+</td><td>130+</td><td>12+</td></tr><tr><td>2003</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Iraq</td><td>334,700–1,215,000+</td><td>574</td><td>376</td></tr><tr><td>2011</td><td></td><td>Africa</td><td>Libya</td><td>30,300–43,000</td><td>282</td><td>152</td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>Insurgency in Cabo Delgado</td><td>Africa</td><td>Mozambique Tanzania</td><td>7,800+</td><td>824</td><td>368</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>Honduran gang crackdown</td><td>North America</td><td>Honduras</td><td>100+–1,700</td><td>561</td><td>384</td></tr></tbody></table>

Skirmishes and clashes (fewer than 100 combat-related deaths in current and previous year)

The 12 conflicts in the following list have caused fewer than 100 direct, violent deaths in the current or previous calendar year.

<table><thead><tr><th>Start of conflict</th><th>Conflict</th><th>Continent</th><th>Location</th><th>Cumulative fatalities</th><th>2025 fatalities</th><th>2026 fatalities</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1962</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Malaysia Philippines</td><td>134+</td><td>3–6</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>1970</td><td></td><td>Africa</td><td>Morocco Sahrawi Republic</td><td>14,000–21,000+</td><td>54</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>1975</td><td>Insurgency in Laos</td><td>Asia</td><td>Laos</td><td>100,000+</td><td>5–75</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>1980</td><td></td><td>South America</td><td>Peru</td><td>70,000</td><td>47</td><td>36</td></tr><tr><td>1981</td><td>Islamist insurgency in Egypt (since 2013)</td><td>Africa</td><td>Egypt</td><td>6,000–7,353+</td><td>53</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>1982</td><td></td><td>Africa</td><td>Senegal Gambia</td><td>5,000+</td><td>6</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>1988</td><td></td><td>Asia</td><td>Armenia Azerbaijan</td><td>39,800–49,000+</td><td>8</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>1991</td><td></td><td>Europe</td><td>Russia Azerbaijan Georgia</td><td>300,000+</td><td>9</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>2004</td><td>South Thailand insurgency</td><td>Asia</td><td>Thailand</td><td>7,683+</td><td>51</td><td>29</td></tr><tr><td>2005</td><td>Insurgency in Paraguay</td><td>South America</td><td>Paraguay</td><td>166+</td><td>2</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>Salvadoran gang crackdown</td><td>North America</td><td>El Salvador</td><td>615+</td><td>10</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td>Sri Lankan drug war</td><td>Asia</td><td>Sri Lanka</td><td>100+</td><td>40+</td><td>36</td></tr></tbody></table>

Conflict deaths in the 2020s

List of ongoing armed conflicts

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="7">The 15 conflicts with the most deaths in the 2020s</th></tr><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Conflict</th><th>Deaths in the 2020s</th><th>Countries</th><th>Continent</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1°</td><td>Russo-Ukrainian war</td><td>440,274</td><td>Ukraine Russia</td><td>Europe</td></tr><tr><td>2°</td><td>Ethiopian civil conflict</td><td>148,223</td><td>Ethiopia</td><td>Africa</td></tr><tr><td>3°</td><td>Gaza war</td><td>88,059</td><td>Palestine Israel</td><td>Asia</td></tr><tr><td>4°</td><td>Mexican drug war</td><td>82,953</td><td>Mexico</td><td>North America</td></tr><tr><td>5°</td><td>Afghan conflict</td><td>80,335</td><td>Afghanistan</td><td>Asia</td></tr><tr><td>6°</td><td>Myanmar civil war</td><td>67,513</td><td>Myanmar</td><td>Asia</td></tr><tr><td>7°</td><td>Yemeni civil war</td><td>62,705</td><td>Yemen</td><td>Asia</td></tr><tr><td>8°</td><td>Nigerian civil conflict</td><td>38,299</td><td>Nigeria</td><td>Africa</td></tr><tr><td>9°</td><td>Syrian civil war</td><td>32,145</td><td>Syria</td><td>Asia</td></tr><tr><td>10°</td><td>Sudanese civil war</td><td>30,078</td><td>Sudan</td><td>Africa</td></tr><tr><td>11°</td><td>Somali civil war</td><td>26,780</td><td>Somalia</td><td>Africa</td></tr><tr><td>12°</td><td>Congolese civil war</td><td>26,386</td><td>DR Congo</td><td>Africa</td></tr><tr><td>13°</td><td>Insurgency in Burkina Faso</td><td>25,334</td><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>Africa</td></tr><tr><td>14°</td><td>Mali War</td><td>17,724</td><td>Mali</td><td>Africa</td></tr><tr><td>15°</td><td>Haitian conflict</td><td>14,988</td><td>Haiti</td><td>North America</td></tr></tbody></table>

Deaths by country

<table><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Rank</th><th colspan="2">2020</th><th colspan="2">2021</th><th colspan="2">2022</th><th colspan="2">2023</th><th colspan="2">2024</th></tr><tr><th>Country</th><th>Deaths</th><th>Country</th><th>Deaths</th><th>Country</th><th>Deaths</th><th>Country</th><th>Deaths</th><th>Country</th><th>Deaths</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>Mexico</td><td>34,512</td><td>Afghanistan</td><td>42,223</td><td>Ethiopia</td><td>109,600+</td><td>Ukraine</td><td>95,088+</td><td>Ukraine</td><td>72,960</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Afghanistan</td><td>30,974</td><td>Yemen</td><td>31,048</td><td>Ukraine</td><td>100,000+</td><td>Palestine</td><td>22,205+</td><td>Palestine</td><td>29,772</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Yemen</td><td>19,561</td><td>Ethiopia</td><td>22,800</td><td>Myanmar</td><td>20,206</td><td>Myanmar</td><td>15,773</td><td>Myanmar</td><td>19,771</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Syria</td><td>7,620</td><td>Mexico</td><td>18,811</td><td>Mexico</td><td>14,254</td><td>Sudan</td><td>13,225</td><td>Sudan</td><td>15,526</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Nigeria</td><td>7,172</td><td>Myanmar</td><td>11,114</td><td>Yemen</td><td>7,133</td><td>Nigeria</td><td>8,505</td><td>Ethiopia</td><td>10,180</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>DR Congo</td><td>6,162</td><td>Nigeria</td><td>9,687</td><td>Somalia</td><td>6,484</td><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>8,486</td><td>Nigeria</td><td>9,155</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Azerbaijan (incl. Nagorno-Karabakh)</td><td>6,110</td><td>DR Congo</td><td>6,283</td><td>DR Congo</td><td>6,254</td><td>Somalia</td><td>8,342</td><td>Mexico</td><td>8,208</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Somalia</td><td>2,950</td><td>Syria</td><td>5,828</td><td>Syria</td><td>5,639</td><td>Mexico</td><td>7,168</td><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>7,522</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Mali</td><td>2,734</td><td>Somalia</td><td>3,532</td><td>Mali</td><td>4,793</td><td>Syria</td><td>6,211</td><td>Syria</td><td>6,847</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Iraq</td><td>2,436</td><td>Iraq</td><td>2,605</td><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>4,700</td><td>Mali</td><td>4,285</td><td>Somalia</td><td>5,472</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>2,268</td><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>2,358</td><td>Iraq</td><td>4,181</td><td>DR Congo</td><td>3,902</td><td>Russia</td><td>4,737</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>South Sudan</td><td>2,245</td><td>South Sudan</td><td>1,986</td><td>Afghanistan</td><td>3,930</td><td>Ethiopia</td><td>3,830</td><td>Mali</td><td>4,001</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>Ethiopia</td><td>1,813</td><td>Mali</td><td>1,911</td><td>Nigeria</td><td>3,780</td><td>Yemen</td><td>3,169</td><td>Lebanon</td><td>3,813</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Mozambique</td><td>1,696</td><td>Central African Republic</td><td>1,704</td><td>Niger</td><td>3,000</td><td>Pakistan</td><td>2,116</td><td>DR Congo</td><td>3,785</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Libya</td><td>1,484</td><td>Sudan</td><td>1,584</td><td>Colombia</td><td>2,276</td><td>Haiti</td><td>2,014</td><td>Afghanistan</td><td>3,208</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Cameroon</td><td>1,447</td><td>Niger</td><td>1,454</td><td>South Sudan</td><td>1,731</td><td>Colombia</td><td>1,932</td><td>Pakistan</td><td>2,964</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Philippines</td><td>1,316</td><td>Colombia</td><td>1,399</td><td>Sudan</td><td>1,327</td><td>Israel</td><td>1,410</td><td>Haiti</td><td>2,441</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>India</td><td>783</td><td>Mozambique</td><td>1,194</td><td>Cameroon</td><td>943</td><td>Iraq</td><td>1,335</td><td>Cameroon</td><td>2,186</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Colombia</td><td>765</td><td>Cameroon</td><td>790</td><td>Mozambique</td><td>916</td><td>South Sudan</td><td>1,240</td><td>Yemen</td><td>1,794</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Myanmar</td><td>650</td><td>Palestine</td><td>484</td><td>Pakistan</td><td>900</td><td>Cameroon</td><td>1,042</td><td>Colombia</td><td>1,708</td></tr></tbody></table>