Hello,
The 25mA limit that you refer is an "absolute maximum limit" above which permanent damage to the device may occur. This must never be exceeded under any cirmumstances.
Delving further into the datasheet shows that an individual output pin, when set to "high drive" state, can source or sink a current level of 10mA for 5 volt operation, and 3mA for 3 volt operation. For the 5 volt case, the output resistance at the pin will be 80 ohms maximum, but will typically have a much lower value. At 3 volts, the maximum output resistance is 270 ohms. It is essential to use a series current limiting resistor when driving a LED.
A further limitation is that the total source or sink current for all output pins may not exceed 100mA for 5 volt operation, and 60mA for 3 volt operation.
The reliability of the device will be affected by the operating die temperature, especially with elevated ambient temperatures. You may need to take into accout the duty cycle of LED operation (continuous or flashing), and how many LEDs may be simultaneously active. For a worst case situation, with 10mA LED current and 0.8 voltage drop at the output pin, each active LED would contribute 8mW to the total power dissipation of the device.
Regards,
Mac