124 Falun Gong Practitioners Reported Dead from Persecution in China in 2025

In 2025, at least 124 Falun Gong practitioners in China were reported to have died as a result of the ongoing persecution, according to information compiled by Minghui.org. Of these cases, 62 deaths occurred in 2025, while the remaining victims died in earlier years but were only confirmed and reported in 2025 due to delays caused by state censorship and information blockades. As in previous years, additional cases from 2025 are expected to emerge over time.

The victims included 85 women and 39 men, ranging in age from 35 to 94. Among the 120 cases for which age information was available, the vast majority were elderly. Ninety-eight practitioners—more than four-fifths—were aged 60 or older. This included three individuals over the age of 90, 24 between 80 and 90, and 40 between 70 and 80. An additional 31 victims were in their 60s. Only a small number were under 50, underscoring the particularly severe toll the persecution continues to take on older practitioners. Prior to their deaths, at least 119 of the victims had been subjected to illegal detention, imprisonment, or confinement in facilities such as prisons, detention centers, brainwashing centers, psychiatric hospitals, or eldercare institutions, where they endured prolonged physical and psychological abuse. Twenty-three practitioners died while in custody, and reports indicate that 13 were injected with toxic or unknown substances.

Geographically, the reported deaths in 2025 spanned 24 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across China, reflecting the nationwide scope of the persecution. Heilongjiang Province recorded the highest number of deaths at 18, followed by Jilin (15), Hebei (14), Liaoning (13), and Shandong (12). Other heavily affected regions included Sichuan (8), Jiangsu (7), and Gansu (5), while Hubei Province, Ningxia Autonomous Region, and Chongqing Municipality each reported four deaths. These figures highlight the continued concentration of severe persecution in northeastern and northern China, even as abuses persist across the country.

As of December 31, 2025, Minghui.org reported that 5,302 Falun Gong practitioners had died due to the persecution since July 1999. These deaths represent the most extreme aspect of a broader campaign of persecution carried out by Chinese security forces against individuals who practice Falun Gong. However, the actual death toll is likely much higher, as comprehensive data is challenging to collect, particularly for cases involving organ harvesting.