Degradation mechanism of 265-nm deep ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) has been investigated by means of electroluminescence, current-voltage measurement, capacitance-voltage measurement, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDAX). It is revealed that a major degradation mode of UV-LEDs may be the leakage current induced optical degradation. The current pathway is demonstrated by TEM with EDAX, indicating that the contact metals can partially interact with p-type materials, which accelerate the degradation of LEDs. The presented results can help to understand the degradation mechanisms and improve the reliability of deep UV-LEDs.