THE number of people killed in acts of terrorism across the world has risen by nearly a third in the past year, British experts have found.

UK-based risk analysis company Maplecroft found that over the last 12 months, global deaths have risen 30 per cent compared to the previous five-year average.

The figures come as part of Maplecroft's Terrorism and Security Dashboard (MTSD), released today, which logs, analyses and maps every reported incident of terrorism worldwide - forming a global ranking of 197 countries on their risk of terror attacks.

It found that in the 12 months before July 1 there were 18,668 fatalities compared to an average of 14,443 for the five years before that - a 29.3 per cent increase.

Over the same period, the MTSD recorded 9,471 attacks - an average of 26 a day - down from a five-year average of 10,468.

According to the dashboard, Iraq has endured the highest number of attacks in the last year with 3,158 incidents, while terrorism in Nigeria is the world's deadliest, recording the highest number of deaths per attack, with an average of 24.

The dashboard, which draws on Maplecroft's seven years of global data to reveal terrorism and security trends across the 197 countries, found that China, Egypt, Kenya and Libya have seen the most significant increases in the risk of terrorist attacks.

Chief executive Alyson Warhurst said: "Up-to-date intelligence on the intensity, frequency, precise location and type of attacks can help organisations to make informed decisions.