2015 Global Terrorism Index

Last week's Islamic terrorist attacks in Beirut and Paris were brutal proof that Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) is growing in numbers, reach and in sowing death.

According to the Institute for Economics & Peace and its latest 2015 Global Terrorism Index, here are the key facts:

• Deaths from terrorism increased 80% last year to the highest level ever, with 32,658 people killed, compared to 18,111 in 2013.
• Boko Haram and ISIL were jointly responsible for 51% of all claimed global fatalities in 2014.
• 78% of all deaths and 57% of all attacks occurred in five countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria.
• Iraq continues to be the country most impacted by terrorism with 9,929 terrorist fatalities, the highest ever recorded in a single country.
• Nigeria experienced the largest increase in terrorist activity with 7,512 deaths in 2014, an increase of over 300% since 2013.
• The global economic cost of terrorism reached an all-time peak at US$52.9 billion.
• Since 2000 there have been over 61,000 terrorist attacks, killing more than 140,000 people.

For more on what's happening in Syria, watch Syria's War: Who's Fighting and Why.