The Philippines was among the countries where journalists were killed in 2025, as at least 128 journalists and media workers lost their lives worldwide last year, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which described the situation as a global crisis for press freedom.
In its final report released on December 31, the IFJ said three journalists were killed in the Philippines in 2025, placing the country among several nations where practicing journalism remained dangerous, particularly in conflict-affected and high-risk environments.
Final list of documented journalists deaths around the world in 2025. | via IFJ
Globally, the IFJ recorded 128 deaths, including 10 women and nine accidental fatalities. The figure is higher than the preliminary count released on December 9 after 17 additional cases were confirmed, highlighting the continued prevalence of violence and impunity against media workers.
Palestine was identified as the deadliest country for journalists in 2025, with 56 killed, followed by Yemen with 13 and Ukraine with eight. For the third consecutive year, the Middle East and Arab World remained the most dangerous region for journalists, accounting for 58 percent of all killings worldwide.
The Asia-Pacific region recorded 15 journalist killings, including cases in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, and the Philippines. The IFJ noted that the region also continues to jail the largest number of journalists globally, with China remaining the world’s biggest jailer of media professionals.
Since 1990, the IFJ has documented 3,173 journalist deaths worldwide, an average of 91 per year. The federation also reported that 533 journalists are currently imprisoned across the globe, stressing that these figures point to a systemic failure to protect journalists and uphold press freedom.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said the killings “are not just statistics but a brutal reminder that journalists are being targeted with impunity,” calling on governments to urgently protect media workers, bring perpetrators to justice, and support a proposed United Nations convention to guarantee journalists’ safety and independence worldwide.
