2015 was the most lethal year for terrorist violence in Europe in nearly a decade, global risk management company Aon Risk Solutions’ latest yearly terrorism and political violence map shows.

The map, released on Wednesday, indicated a net increase in global terrorism risk ratings since 2013, with the risk ratings of 18 countries having increased and those of 13 countries having decreased.
 
For the first time since 2007, shootings had overtaken bombings in the Western world, while the targeting of civilians in public spaces had become more commonplace.

Since January 2015, nearly one-third of all attacks in the Western world targeted private citizens and public gatherings.
 
The global threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) dominated many of the map’s findings this year, as the group entered a more aggressive phase of mounting mass casualty attacks in 2015 and early 2016.

IS’s activities contributed to sustaining or increasing risk levels in more than a dozen countries worldwide.

Far-right activism, as well as civil unrest risks stemming from the European migrant crisis and the increasing influence of extremist parties also drove rating increases.
 
According to the map, South Africa’s risk level had increased from low to medium.

“The increase in the risk level is attributed to an increase in strike action and antigovernment protests, as well as a breakdown in relations between the governing African National Congress party and major trade unions,” said AON sub-Saharan Africa regional controller Darlington Munhuwan.

He noted that the map demonstrated increased regional instability and a growing spectrum of potential risks on a global scale.

“The terrorism threat continues to evolve and is no longer limited to physical damage to infrastructure. It is now broader and includes cyberthreats, kidnap and ransom, business interruption, as well as event cancellations,” he said.

Aon risk advisory group head of intelligence Henry Wilkinson said most business-threatening political violence risks continued to emerge from war and sudden changes in government control.