Organized Violence

Organized violence is an umbrella term that includes state-based armed conflict, non-state armed conflict, and one-sided violence.

A state-based armed conflict is a contested incompatibility over government and/or territory where the use of armed force between two parties, at least one of which is the government of a state, results in 25 or more battle deaths within a calendar year. There are four types of state-based armed conflict: extrastate conflict; interstate conflict; intrastate conflict; and internationalized intrastate conflict (see our definitions).

A non-state armed conflict involves the use of armed force between two organized groups, neither of which is the government of a state, that results in 25 or more battle deaths in a calendar year.

One-sided violence is the use of lethal force by the government of a state, or by a formally organized group, against civilians.

A campaign of one-sided violence refers to the use of lethal force against civilians by the government of a state, or a formally organized group, that results in 25 or more reported and codable deaths in a given country in a calendar year. The deaths need not occur at the same time.

Six regions are used in the presentation of the organized violence data.

State-Based Armed Conflicts

Non-State Armed Conflicts

One-Sided Violence