A total of 128 journalists and media workers lost their lives worldwide in 2025, marking a grim escalation in attacks on the press, the International Federation of Journalists reported in its annual tally released on New Year’s Eve.
The Brussels-based organization, which revised its preliminary count of 111 upward after verifying 17 additional cases, noted that the fatalities included 10 women and encompassed nine accidental deaths, seven of them in Nigeria.
Conflict zones dominated the statistics, with the Middle East and Arab World suffering the heaviest losses at 74 deaths — 58 percent of the global figure — including 56 in Palestine during the ongoing Gaza war and 13 in Yemen.
Europe recorded 10 killings, primarily tied to the Russia-Ukraine conflict with eight in Ukraine, while Africa saw nine deaths, six of them in Sudan amid its civil strife.
The Asia-Pacific region tallied 15 fatalities, and the Americas 11, with Peru emerging as the most dangerous spot in the latter with four journalists slain, matching India’s count.
Other nations with multiple losses included the Philippines, Mexico, and Pakistan, each with three.
The 2025 death toll surpassed the 122 recorded the previous year, when 14 women were among the victims, underscoring a deteriorating environment for media professionals.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger condemned the trend, saying: “128 journalists killed in a single year is not just a statistic, it is a global crisis.”
“These deaths are a brutal reminder that journalists are being targeted with impunity, simply for doing their job,” he added.
Bellanger urged immediate action: “Governments must act now to protect media workers, bring killers to justice, and uphold press freedom. The world can no longer wait: it is time for a United Nations convention that guarantees the safety and independence of journalists everywhere.”
