The conflict in Syria killed 76,021 people in 2014, just under half of them civilians, a group monitoring the war said.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 33,278 civilians were killed last year in the conflict, which started with protests in 2011 and has spiralled into a civil war.
Around 3,500 children were killed.
The United Nations in August estimated the total number of people killed since the start of the conflict at 191,000.
Activists say the actual figure is likely much higher.
Last year's figure compared with 73,447 in 2013, another 49,294 in 2012 and 7,841 in 2011, the group said.
