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FAQs
A selection of frequently asked questions by users of ACLED data.
What are ACLED data?
The ACLED dataset contains disaggregated incident information on political violence, demonstrations, and select related non-violent developments around the world, as outlined in the ACLED Codebook. It is an event based dataset.…
What can ACLED data be used for? What should they not be used for?
ACLED data are widely used for trend monitoring, early warning, and risk analysis that supports and informs operational safety and security decision making. ACLED data are used by individuals, media outlets, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners around the world for a wide range of applications, from risk assessments and early warning initiatives to human rights advocacy and academic research.…
How can I access and use ACLED data?
ACLED data are updated weekly every Monday and Tuesday. The data are available for download through our export tool, curated data files, or API, after registering for an account on the ACLED Access Portal.…
How can I find data on a specific theme, such as violence targeting civilians and women, or disorder related to regional trends?
The various data columns, such as the Actors, Event Type, and Disorder Type columns, can be used to filter events by specific event types and actors. The Tags column can be used to filter events by specific trends that are currently tracked by ACLED.…
How are the data structured?
ACLED data are available in a spreadsheet and each row represents an individual event. There are multiple columns which contain specific information on the location, date, involved actors, fatalities, and other characteristics of the event.…