New ACLED report highlights over 2,600 incidents of violence targeting local officials during 2024’s super election year
30 May 2025 — New data from the global conflict monitor ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) reveal over 2,600 incidents of violence targeting local officials in 96 countries around the world in 2024. These incidents, which ACLED has been tracking since 2022, include violence targeting a wide range of public servants, including governors, mayors, village heads, local councilors, election workers, and other officials.
Key findings:
- 88% of this violence was concentrated in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa. Asia-Pacific remains the most dangerous region for local officials. ACLED records 1,008 events in the region, marking the third consecutive year it’s been top of the list.
- 2024’s top five countries are Mexico (342 events), Myanmar (305 events) — two countries that also top ACLED’s Conflict Index — then India (272 events), Nigeria (137 events), and the Philippines (119 events).
- Despite the total number of incidents dropping slightly in 2024 compared to 2023, 42 countries experienced significant increases. This was most notable in Lebanon, where events rose by more than eight times compared to 2023, driven by Israeli military operations in the south of the country.
- As over 1 billion ballots were cast globally in 2024’s “super-year” of elections, our data show that 57% of the violence we recorded took place in countries that were holding elections.
- Direct attacks — like aggressions, shootings, or stabbings — were the most common type of violence local officials experienced in 2024, accounting for 44% of all violence. The activity of non-state armed actors was also a major threat — in 2024, non-state armed groups were responsible for 70% of all incidents.
- Attacks by mobs and demonstrators accounted for 25% of incidents globally. These were most prevalent in Asia-Pacific, particularly India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, and were often driven by dissatisfaction with political decisions or corruption.
ACLED Head of Analysis Andrea Carboni said, “Analyzing the violence in 2024, we found that three key drivers emerged: The proliferation of armed conflict is a key driver in several countires, such as Myanmar, where local officials operating in an active war zone are often targeted by both sides as a means to inflict symbolic damage to the enemy.
“Organized crime — this is prevalent across Latin America, but particularly in Mexico, where cartels and gangs seek to control local administrations to create favorable conditions for their criminal activities or retaliate against those who are not in or break collusion with them, particularly during elections.
“And political unrest — the fact that local officials are the closest and most accessible part of the public administration means they are often the prized targets of mobs, vigilantes, and angered popular masses — as we saw clearly last year in Bangladesh.”
As of the first quarter of 2025, ACLED has already recorded more than 540 incidents in 59 countries, indicating no sign of a decline in violence against local officials. With political polarization, armed conflicts, and social unrest continuing to drive instability, the risks faced by local officials are likely to persist in the coming months.
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Note to editors:
In 2024, ACLED records nearly 2,625 events of violence targeting local officials globally, compared to 2,672 in 2023 and 2,953 in 2022. ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) is a global monitor that collects, analyzes, and maps data on conflict and protest. ACLED provides detailed information to help identify, understand, and track patterns and trends in conflict and crisis situations around the world.
