diff --git a/releases.json b/releases.json
index 0cb984fe5..32926f518 100644
--- a/releases.json
+++ b/releases.json
@@ -1270,6 +1270,7 @@
       "htslib"
     ],
     "versions": [
+      "1.21-1",
       "1.20-1",
       "1.17-2",
       "1.17-1",
diff --git a/subprojects/htslib.wrap b/subprojects/htslib.wrap
index 97b47e52e..1d14dd2f4 100644
--- a/subprojects/htslib.wrap
+++ b/subprojects/htslib.wrap
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 [wrap-file]
-directory = htslib-1.20
-source_url = https://github.com/samtools/htslib/releases/download/1.20/htslib-1.20.tar.bz2
-source_filename = htslib-1.20.tar.bz2
-source_hash = e52d95b14da68e0cfd7d27faf56fef2f88c2eaf32a2be51c72e146e3aa928544
+directory = htslib-1.21
+source_url = https://github.com/samtools/htslib/releases/download/1.21/htslib-1.21.tar.bz2
+source_filename = htslib-1.21.tar.bz2
+source_hash = 84b510e735f4963641f26fd88c8abdee81ff4cb62168310ae716636aac0f1823
 patch_directory = htslib
 
 [provide]
diff --git a/subprojects/packagefiles/htslib/meson.build b/subprojects/packagefiles/htslib/meson.build
index aa3e2532d..ec5025075 100644
--- a/subprojects/packagefiles/htslib/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/packagefiles/htslib/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 project(
   'htslib',
   'c',
-  version: '1.20',
+  version: '1.21',
   default_options: ['buildtype=release', 'warning_level=0', 'c_std=c99', 'b_ndebug=if-release'],
   license: 'MIT',
   meson_version: '>= 0.50.0',