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WHO Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 Highlights Escalating AMR Crisis

October 21, 2025

 

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) released the Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 on 13 October 2025, providing the most comprehensive global assessment of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) under the GLASS framework. The report analysed over 23 million infections across 104 countries , covering roughly 70% of the world’s population , and examined eight key bacterial pathogens against 22 antibiotics .

Key Findings:

  • AMR is rising globally , with one in six confirmed bacterial infections resistant to at least one antibiotic.

  • Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Acinetobacter species pose the highest risk, particularly in bloodstream infections .

  • Resistance rates:

    • E. coli : 44.8% resistance to third-generation cephalosporins (over 70% in Africa)

    • K. pneumoniae : 55.2% global resistance; carbapenem resistance 41.2% in Southeast Asia

    • Acinetobacter spp. : 54.3% carbapenem resistance

    • MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus) : 23.2% of bloodstream infections

  • Urinary tract infections: Over 30% resistance to first-line antibiotics in most countries.

  • AMR deaths: In 2021, AMR contributed to 4.71 million deaths , directly causing 1.14 million deaths .

Regional Variations:

  • South-East Asia & Eastern Mediterranean: One in three infections resistant.

  • Africa: High resistance, especially in E. coli and K. pneumoniae (>70%).

  • Europe: Lowest levels (~10% of infections resistant).

  • LMICs face the highest burden due to limited diagnostics, overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics, and weak surveillance.

Trends and Concerns:

  • AMR is increasing in over 40% of pathogen–antibiotic combinations between 2018–2023.

  • Rapid growth in resistance to Watch and Reserve antibiotics threatens treatment of severe infections.

  • Rising carbapenem resistance in Gram-negative bacteria indicates a potential return to pre-antibiotic era scenarios in some regions.

Recommendations:

  • Strengthen global AMR surveillance and reporting through GLASS.

  • Enhance laboratory capacity and link microbiological with epidemiological data.

  • Implement antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention measures.

  • Promote research and development of new antibiotics and ensure

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