A statement by the consultancy about its latest Terrorism Risk Index said increased dangers seen in Somalia and Yemen were caused by al Qaeda-associated violence while those in Russia stemmed from attacks by separatists from the North Caucasus.
The largest change in the rankings was Greece, which moved from 57 to 24 to become the European country most at risk, a trend the consultancy said was due to violent left-wing groups.
Pakistan, where more than 2,000 people have been killed in a wave of deadly attacks by Islamist militants since 2007, moved up one place to become the country second most at risk, while neighbouring Afghanistan slipped from second place to fourth.
Iraq, where sectarian carnage unleashed after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion is receding, is now in third place.
Security experts say the global risks posed by hardline Islamist groups were most recently underscored by al Qaeda’s claim of responsibility for the planting of explosives on cargo planes flying to the United States from Yemen last month.
Maplecroft said Somalia suffered 556 terrorist incidents, in which 1,437 people were killed and 3,408 wounded, between June 2009 and June 2010, the period on which the rankings are based.
“Somalia is the most extreme risk country,” it said.
