Earth’s global surface temperature in 2025 was marginally warmer than in 2023, though the difference was so small that scientists describe the two years as effectively tied.
A new analysis by NASA also confirms that 2024 has emerged as the hottest year in the modern temperature record, which dates back to 1880. Despite falling short of the 2024 peak, 2025 remains firmly within the long-term global warming trend. Temperatures last year stayed well above mid-20th century averages, highlighting persistent and widespread warming across both land and ocean surfaces.
According to a report released by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), Earth’s average surface temperature in 2025 was 2.14 degrees Fahrenheit (1.19 degrees Celsius) higher than the 1951–1980 reference period. The findings draw on one of the most comprehensive climate datasets assembled to date.
The analysis combined air temperature readings from more than 25,000 weather stations worldwide with sea surface temperature measurements collected by ships and ocean buoys. Data from Antarctic research stations were also included to ensure coverage of remote and sparsely monitored regions.
NASA scientists said they used advanced statistical techniques to adjust for changes in station locations over time and to reduce the influence of urban heat effects that can distort long-term climate records.
Independent analyses by other climate agencies — including the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Berkeley Earth, the UK Met Office’s Hadley Centre and Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service — likewise place 2025 among the three warmest years on record, despite differences in methodology.
Scientists say the broad agreement across datasets underscores a clear and continuing trend of global warming.
Comments are closed.