Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq recorded the fastest relative rise in protest activity among emerging markets, with events jumping 671% to 44,763 in the second quarter of 2026 from 5,806 a year earlier, according to Verisk Maplecroft’s Civil Unrest Index.

The UK-based risk consultancy said global civil unrest reached a six-year high, with the index tracking protest frequency, scale, severity, deaths, and damage to commercial property.

Turkiye followed Iraq among emerging markets, rising 535% to 404,511 events from 63,724. India climbed 119% to 583,589 from 266,841, the Philippines rose 333% to 105,712 from 24,414, and Brazil increased 108% to 95,990 from 46,150.

Beyond emerging markets, US activity rose 458% to 636,577 events from 114,034, Italy climbed 183% to 427,023 from 150,795, Greece increased 307% to 107,477 from 26,377, and the Netherlands rose 476% to 65,411 from 11,349. France rose 44% to 277,517 from 192,636.

Verisk Maplecroft linked the rise to months of higher energy and living costs, which weakened household purchasing power despite lower oil prices after the US-Iran truce.

“Inflationary pressure from the disruption to shipping and damage to energy infrastructure will continue well into the second half of 2026,” Torbjorn Soltvedt, head of EMEA at Verisk Maplecroft, told Reuters.

Read more: Iraq’s protests: A system that learned how to contain the street