As of 2026-10-12, 2011 Yemeni revolution tops the list with 2,000 deaths.
- #1 2011 Yemeni revolution — 2,000 deaths
Yemeni upheaval occurring simultaneously with the Arab Spring (2011)
The Yemeni revolution, also known as the Yemeni intifada, was a series of major anti-government protests and armed uprisings that raged through Yemen from January 2011 to February 2012. It occurred concurrently with the Arab Spring that broke out throughout the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. In its early phase, protests in Yemen were initially against unemployment, economic conditions, corruption, and the authoritarian regime led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh as well as against the... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #2 2011 Egyptian revolution — 1,146 deaths
political upheaval in Egypt, leading to ouster of President Hosni Mubarak
The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January Revolution, began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with National Police Day as a statement against increasing police brutality during the later years of Hosni Mubarak's presidency. It consisted of demonstrations, marches, occupations of plazas, non-violent civil resistance, acts of civil disobedience and strikes. Millions of protesters from a range of socio-economic and... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #3 2021–present Myanmar protests — 1,000 deaths
coup resistance movement in Myanmar beginning in 2021
Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution, began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup d'état on 1 February, staged by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, the Tatmadaw. As of 23 June 2022, at least 2000 protesters had been killed, 14,000 arrested and 700,000 displaced by the military junta. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #4 2019–2021 Iraqi protests — 550 deaths
ongoing series of protests
A series of demonstrations, marches, sit-ins and civil disobedience took place in Iraq from 2019 until 2021. It started on 1 October 2019, a date which was set by civil activists on social media, spreading mainly over the central and southern provinces of Iraq, to protest corruption, high unemployment, political sectarianism, inefficient public services and foreign interventionism. Protests spread quickly, coordinated over social media, to other provinces in Iraq. As the intensity of the... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #5 Mahsa Amini protests — 522 deaths
Iranian protest movement in 2022–2023
Civil unrest and protests against the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran associated with the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini began on 16 September 2022 and carried on into 2023, but by spring 2023, the protests had largely subsided, ultimately leaving the political leadership unchanged and firmly entrenched in power. The protests were described as "unlike any the country had seen before", the "biggest challenge" to the government, and "most widespread revolt" since the Islamic... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #6 2018 Nicaraguan protests — 450 deaths
Nicaraguan protests
The 2018 Nicaraguan protests began on 18 April 2018 when demonstrators in several cities of Nicaragua began protests against the social security reforms decreed by President Daniel Ortega that increased taxes and decreased benefits. After five days of unrest in which nearly thirty people were killed, Ortega announced the cancellation of the reforms; however, the opposition has grown through the 2014–2018 Nicaraguan protests to denounce Ortega and demand his resignation, becoming one of the... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #7 Hachalu Hundessa riots — 239 deaths
2020 protests in Oromia Region, Ethiopia
The Hachalu Hundessa riots were a series of civil unrest that occurred in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia, more specifically in the hot spot of Addis Ababa, Shashamene and Ambo following the killing of the Oromo musician Hachalu Hundessa on 29 June 2020. The riots lead to the deaths of at least 239 people according to initial police reports. Peaceful protests against Hachalu's killing have been held by Oromos abroad as well. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found in its 1 January 2021... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #8 2021 South African unrest — 212 deaths
protest
The 2021 South African unrest, also known as the July 2021 riots, the Zuma unrest or Zuma riots, was a wave of civil unrest that occurred in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces from 9 to 18 July 2021, sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court. Resulting protests against the incarceration triggered wider rioting and looting, much of it said to be undertaken by people not in support of Zuma and fuelled by job layoffs and economic inequality... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #9 2022 Kazakh unrest — 206 deaths
series of protests in Kazakhstan that began on 2 January 2022 after an LPG price increase
The 2022 Kazakh unrest, also known as January Events, Bloody January, or the January Tragedy, was a series of mass protests and civil unrest that began in Kazakhstan on 2 January 2022 after a sudden sharp increase in liquefied petroleum gas prices following the lifting of a government-enforced price cap on 1 January. The protests began peacefully in the oil-producing city of Zhanaozen and quickly spread to other cities in the country, especially the nation's largest city, Almaty, which saw its... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #10 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement — 201 deaths
students' movement demanding reforms in Bangladesh quota system
The 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement was a series of anti-government and pro-democracy protests in Bangladesh, spearheaded primarily by university students. Initially focused on restructuring quota-based systems for government job recruitment, the movement expanded against what many perceived as an authoritarian government when government-associated groups carried out the July massacre of protesters and civilians, most of whom were students. While it started as a student movement, the... Read more on Wikipedia.
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