Belfast has been named as the most dangerous city in Europe, according to an analysis of the terror risk to 1,300 commercial hubs and urban centres around the world.

Baghdad topped the list worldwide, after a year which saw 380 attacks resulting in 1141 deaths and more than 3,600 wounded.

Despite the UK’s “severe” terror alert, London ranked down at 400 due to the lack of a terror incident since the 7/7 bombings. Paris, however, has soared into the top 100 cities following the Charlie Hebdo shooting.

The research has been compiled by global risk analytics company Verisk Maplecroft, which advises banks and insurers on the threat of a terror attack in almost any urban setting around the world.

It has logged every reported terror incident around the world in the 12 months up to March 2015, and combined that with the longer-term record of attacks in the previous five years, to come up with its rankings.

The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world Show all 24 1 /24 The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 1. Baghdad, Iraq Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 2. Mosul, Iraq Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 3. Al Ramadi, Iraq Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 4. Ba'qubah, Iraq Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 5. Kirkuk, Iraq Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 6. Al Hillah, Iraq Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 7. Peshawar, Pakistan Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 8. Benghazi, Libya Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 9. Quetta, Pakistan Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 10. Hassu Khel, Pakistan The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 11. Jalalabad, Afghanistan Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 12. Kandahar, Afghanistan Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 13. Kabul, Afghanistan Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 14. Mogadishu, Somalia Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 15. Karbala, Iraq Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 16. Karachi, Pakistan Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 17. Jos, Nigeria Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 18. Abuja, Nigeria Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 19. Sana’a, Yemen Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 20. Dohuk, Iraq Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 90. Belfast, Northern Ireland (ranked highest risk in Europe) Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 97. Paris, France Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 113. Athens, Greece Getty The top 20 most dangerous cities in the world 400. (of 1300) London, UK A general view of the City of London on 1 April 2014 in London, England. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Charlotte Ingham, the company’s principal analyst, said it was “imperative” for businesses considering investment to be aware that terror threats didn’t just vary from country to country.

“An estimated 80 per cent of global GDP is generated from cities,” she said. “Visibility of the sub-national differences in terrorism levels should be an imperative for multinational organisations looking to understand and price the risks to assets, employees and supply chains.”

Verisk Maplecroft identified 12 capital cities around the world as facing an “extreme risk” of terror attacks, including Nairobi in Kenya and Lagos in Nigeria.

It said Paris (97th and ‘high risk’) had experienced one of the steepest rises year-on-year due to the severity of the terrorist attack in January 2015 that left 17 people dead.

Forensic investigators examine the wreckage of the bombed bus after the July 7 bombing in London in 2005 (GETTY IMAGES)

“The risk level in Paris is representative of a wider trend for Western countries, including Belgium, Canada and Australia, where key urban centres face substantially higher threat levels than elsewhere in the country,” the company said.

London, though categorised as “low risk”, remains a “highly attractive” target for terror attacks due to its international status.

“A particular challenge for the [UK] security forces is combating the threat of attacks by lone-wolves inspired by groups including Isis or al-Qaeda, or individuals returning from the battlefield in Syria and Iraq,” analysts said.