The UN reports that preliminary data indicates around 950 human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists were killed or forcibly disappeared worldwide in 2025.
This information is from the latest global dataset titled “Human Rights Count,” published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
According to the most comprehensive data, one human rights defender, journalist, or trade unionist is killed or disappeared every 10 hours.
The report states, “Every 10 hours, a human rights defender, journalist or trade unionist is killed or disappeared,” and notes that “every hour, a child dies in armed conflict. One in five people have experienced discrimination in the past year.”
Projected totals for 2025 show at least 743 defenders were killed and 202 disappeared, with no signs of reversal in this upward trend.
OHCHR reported that civilian deaths in armed conflict remain alarmingly high, with at least 37,163 civilians killed in 2025—down from a record 48,011 the previous year.
The report highlights, “Every 14 minutes, a civilian dies in armed conflict. Nearly one in five people worldwide have experienced discrimination in the past 12 months.”
Violence against human rights defenders has reached record levels, with at least 5,995 killed since 2015. The UN rights agency notes that the number of defenders murdered or disappeared in 2025 is more than double that of a decade ago.
Attacks against human rights defenders have reached record levels over the past year. OHCHR expressed concern over the surge in attacks, civilian deaths, discrimination, and the state of institutions protecting human rights.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasized, “Behind every data point is a real life lived — or lost.”
He added, “These new global human rights data show that discrimination, violence, and exclusion are systemic and continue to affect those already at the margins.”
