In 2025, 128 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide. Among them are 10 women. This was reported by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The statistics also include nine deaths resulting from unfortunate accidents.
For comparison, 122 journalists lost their lives in 2024. According to IFJ leader Anthony Bellanger, this increase indicates that the level of danger for journalists is extremely high. The organization criticized governments for failing to adequately protect media workers and called for decisive measures to end violence and impunity by 2026.
According to the Federation's data, 58 percent of journalist killings in 2025 occurred in the Middle East and Arab countries. The highest number of casualties was recorded in Yemen (13), Ukraine (8), and Sudan (6). Additionally, attacks on journalists and their vehicles using drones have been noted as a worrying trend.
The IFJ has been maintaining statistics on journalist killings since 1990. During this period, a total of 3,173 journalists have been killed. By the end of 2025, it was reported that 533 journalists are imprisoned worldwide.
