2025 Ranked Third Hottest Year on Record

The planet recorded its third-hottest year on record in 2025, extending an unprecedented global warming streak, with scientists warning that 2026 is unlikely to bring relief, according to US researchers and EU climate monitors.

Data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and Berkeley Earth show that the past 11 years have been the warmest ever recorded, with 2024 ranking as the hottest and 2023 second.

For the first time, average global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels over three years, Copernicus said, raising fresh concerns about the world’s ability to meet climate targets set under the Paris Agreement.

Berkeley Earth warned that the 2023–2025 warming spike was extreme, indicating a possible acceleration in global warming. Temperatures in 2025 stood 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels, following 1.6°C in 2024.

Around 770 million people experienced record-high annual temperatures in 2025, while no region recorded a record-cold year. The Antarctic logged its warmest year on record, while the Arctic experienced its second hottest, Copernicus reported.

Climate scientists warned that 2026 could become another record-breaking year, especially if an El Niño event develops. Berkeley Earth said 2026 is most likely to rank as the fourth warmest year since 1850.

The findings come as global efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions continue to falter. Emissions rose in the United States last year, while the pace of reductions slowed in parts of Europe, adding further pressure to global climate goals.