diff --git a/releases.json b/releases.json
index 09c95f73d..97ca7ca59 100644
--- a/releases.json
+++ b/releases.json
@@ -1601,6 +1601,7 @@
       "gencmn"
     ],
     "versions": [
+      "78.1-1",
       "77.1-3",
       "77.1-2",
       "77.1-1",
diff --git a/subprojects/icu.wrap b/subprojects/icu.wrap
index 7188b2073..49c3e0156 100644
--- a/subprojects/icu.wrap
+++ b/subprojects/icu.wrap
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 [wrap-file]
 directory = icu
-source_url = https://github.com/unicode-org/icu/releases/download/release-77-1/icu4c-77_1-src.tgz
-source_filename = icu4c-77_1-src.tgz
-source_hash = 588e431f77327c39031ffbb8843c0e3bc122c211374485fa87dc5f3faff24061
+source_url = https://github.com/unicode-org/icu/releases/download/release-78.1/icu4c-78.1-sources.tgz
+source_filename = icu4c-78.1-sources.tgz
+source_hash = 6217f58ca39b23127605cfc6c7e0d3475fe4b0d63157011383d716cb41617886
 patch_directory = icu
 
 [provide]
diff --git a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/meson.build b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/meson.build
index f117f5245..0380d0bdd 100644
--- a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/meson.build
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ project(
   'icu',
   'c',
   'cpp',
-  version: '77.1',
+  version: '78.1',
   license: 'BSD-2-Clause AND BSD-3-Clause AND ICU AND NAIST-2003 AND Unicode-3.0',
   meson_version: '>=0.57.0',
   default_options: 'cpp_std=c++17',
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
   )
   add_project_arguments(
     '-DWINVER=0x0601',
-    '-D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0601' ,
+    '-D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0601',
     language: 'cpp',
   )
   add_project_arguments(
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
   )
   add_project_arguments(
     '-DWINVER=0x0601',
-    '-D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0601' ,
+    '-D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0601',
     language: 'c',
   )
 endif
diff --git a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/common/meson.build b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/common/meson.build
index f5687a7de..c9d30fef7 100644
--- a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/common/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/common/meson.build
@@ -51,10 +51,7 @@ icuuc_native_dep = declare_dependency(
   include_directories: incdir,
   dependencies: dl_native_dep,
 )
-
-if meson.version().version_compare('>=0.54.0')
-  meson.override_dependency('icu-uc', icuuc_dep)
-endif
+meson.override_dependency('icu-uc', icuuc_dep)
 
 headers = files(
   'unicode/appendable.h',
diff --git a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/data/meson.build b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/data/meson.build
index 38c3224bd..ce17e8e6b 100644
--- a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/data/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/data/meson.build
@@ -89,8 +89,5 @@ if cpp.get_argument_syntax() != 'msvc'
     include_directories: incdir,
     compile_args: usage_args,
   )
-
-  if meson.version().version_compare('>=0.54.0')
-    meson.override_dependency('icu-data', icudata_dep)
-  endif
+  meson.override_dependency('icu-data', icudata_dep)
 endif
diff --git a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/i18n/meson.build b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/i18n/meson.build
index b0739a5ef..697fb69b0 100644
--- a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/i18n/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/i18n/meson.build
@@ -51,10 +51,7 @@ icui18n_native_dep = declare_dependency(
   link_with: i18n_native_lib,
   dependencies: icuuc_native_dep,
 )
-
-if meson.version().version_compare('>=0.54.0')
-  meson.override_dependency('icu-i18n', icui18n_dep)
-endif
+meson.override_dependency('icu-i18n', icui18n_dep)
 
 headers = files(
   'unicode/alphaindex.h',
diff --git a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/io/meson.build b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/io/meson.build
index 25677ab5d..bf6c3317b 100644
--- a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/io/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/io/meson.build
@@ -22,10 +22,7 @@ icuio_dep = declare_dependency(
   link_with: io_lib,
   dependencies: icui18n_dep,
 )
-
-if meson.version().version_compare('>=0.54.0')
-  meson.override_dependency('icu-io', icuio_dep)
-endif
+meson.override_dependency('icu-io', icuio_dep)
 
 pkg.generate(
   io_lib,
diff --git a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/layoutex/meson.build b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/layoutex/meson.build
index 756336e6b..45541ab4a 100644
--- a/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/layoutex/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/packagefiles/icu/source/layoutex/meson.build
@@ -24,10 +24,7 @@ layoutex_dep = declare_dependency(
   link_with: layoutex_lib,
   dependencies: icuuc_dep,
 )
-
-if meson.version().version_compare('>=0.54.0')
-  meson.override_dependency('icu-lx', layoutex_lib)
-endif
+meson.override_dependency('icu-lx', layoutex_lib)
 
 pkg.generate(
   layoutex_lib,
diff --git a/tools/versions.py b/tools/versions.py
index 7d23a2180..fa6719e12 100755
--- a/tools/versions.py
+++ b/tools/versions.py
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ def get_upstream_versions() -> dict[str, str]:
     def sub(name: str, old: str, new: str) -> None:
         if name in versions:
             versions[name] = re.sub(old, new, versions[name])
-    sub('icu', '-', '.')
     sub('inih', '^', 'r')
     sub('mt32emu', '_', '.')
     sub('re2', '-', '')