START Database

Overview of the GTD

The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) is an open-source database including information on terrorist events around the world from 1970 through 2007 (with annual updates planned for the future). Unlike many other event databases, the GTD includes systematic data on domestic as well as transnational and international terrorist incidents that have occurred during this time period and now includes more than 80,000 cases. For each GTD incident, information is available on the date and location of the incident, the weapons used and nature of the target, the number of casualties, and—when identifiable—the group or individual responsible.

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) is making the GTD available via this online interface in an effort to increase understanding of terrorist violence so that it can be more readily studied and defeated.

Characteristics of the GTD

• Contains information on over 80,000 terrorist attacks
• Currently the most comprehensive unclassified data base on terrorist events in the world
• Includes information on more than 27,000 bombings, 12,000 assassinations, and 2,900 kidnappings since 1970
• Includes information on at least 45 variables for each case, with more recent incidents including information on more than 120 variables
• Supervised by an advisory panel of 12 terrorism research experts
• Over 3,500,000 news articles and 25,000 news sources were reviewed to collect incident data from 1998 to 2007 alone

Government representatives and interested researchers may request versions of the data directly through the GTD Contact Form.