Each extremist ideology depicted here encompasses a variety of theories and tactics for advancing its agenda. In this dataset’s nomenclature, Violent Supremacy Violent Supremacy is a term that encompasses extremist ideologies predicated on the superiority of certain ethnic, racial, or other demographic characteristics. In this analysis of the dataset, the category is predominantly comprised attacks labeled as white supremacist, neo-Nazi, anti-migrant, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic ideologies. This category also includes a small number of violent attacks by adjacent illiberal ideologies including anti-abortion, anti-LGBT, and male supremacists. All attack and attacker labels categories are designated by the GTD.Source: GTD is an umbrella term for predominantly white supremacist, neo-Nazi, anti-migrant, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, and male supremacist ideologies. Islamist extremism Islamist extremism comprises those who endorse violence to impose a global Islamic state and reject liberal values such as democracy, the rule of law and social equality (as defined by the UK Government). In this analysis of the dataset, Islamist extremism applies to attacks labeled as individual Muslim extremists, as well as those affiliated with terrorist groups including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and 'Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). All attack and attacker labels are designated by the GTD.Source: GTD describes an array of formal groups and unaffiliated actors who seek to impose a global Islamic state governed by their interpretations of Shari’ah as state law. Anti-government extremism Anti-government extremism encompasses a variety of ideologies with antipathies toward the government. Anti-government grievances are classified as extremist when they endorse violence to achieve changes in governance. In this analysis of the dataset, anti-government extremists include attacks labeled as vigilante militias such as the Sovereign Citizen movement, anarchists, and anti-Police extremists, among others. All attack and attacker labels categories are designated by the GTD.Source: GTD encompasses a variety of ideologies with antipathy toward the government who endorse violence as a corrective measure. The Extreme Left The Extreme Left is a term that encompasses extremist ideologies predicated on the use of violence to disrupt or overthrow conservative or capitalist systems and replace them with Marxist-Leninist, socialist or anarchist societies. In this analysis of the dataset, the term includes attacks labeled as single-issue extremist groups who endorse violent means to advocate against animal abuse, such as the Animal Liberation Front, or against environmental degradation, such as the Earth Liberation Front. All attack and attacker labels are designated by the GTD.Source: GTD primarily comprises those who endorse the use of violence against conservative or capitalist systems in support of animal welfare, environmentalism, socialism or anarchist societies.

Spikes of violent white supremacy in Germany, the US and the UK followed the Syrian Migrant Crisis, the 2016 presidential election and the EU referendum, respectively. In 2019, there was a sharp increase in deaths from extremists motivated by race and ethnicity. Worldwide, at least 86 people were killed in Australasia, North America, and Western Europe in 2019 by violent supremacists, compared to 52 in 2018. The graphs below capture these lethal attacks, as well as other incidents of political violence such as arson or assault.

When compared to attacks by other extremist movements, violent white supremacy is the most frequently occurring over this period in these regions3. Violent white supremacy and Islamist Extremism, in particular, represent two very different types of threats: violent Islamist attacks have been relatively rare in the West in the last decade, arguably because of greater law enforcement attention, but often result in a high number of casualties. Violent white supremacist attacks have occurred more frequently, but have resulted in fewer casualties on average (with the exception of the Christchurch attack in March 2019)4.