Where the Most Death Penalties Are Carried Out

At least 2,707 people are known to have been put to death last year, according to Amnesty International’s annual review of the death penalty. This is the highest number of executions recorded in 44 years. However, the true number is likely far higher, as several countries do not publish accurate figures - including North Korea, Vietnam and Belarus. In China, where numbers remain a state secret, thousands of people are believed to be executed and sentenced to death each year. Overall, executions in 2025 rose by at least 78 percent, after at least 1,518 were carried out the year before.

According to Amnesty Inernational, the sharp rise in executions in 2025 was driven by a handful of states, particularly Iran: the country executed at least 2,159 people, more than double its 2024 figure and the highest number on record since 1981. Iranian authorities intensified their use of the death penalty last year as a tool of political repression, to punish individuals who challenged, or were perceived as having challenged the establishment. Under the guise of national security, the Iranian regime also intensified its use of the death penalty in the aftermath of the Israeli military strikes against Iran in June 2025 and the ensuing 12-day war, with senior officials calling for expedited trials and executions for “supporting” or “collaborating” with hostile states.

Amnesty International notes that Saudi Arabia also saw a significant increase in death sentences in 2025, mostly for drug-related offences. Executions in Kuwait almost tripled (from 6 to 17), while they near doubled in Egypt (from 13 to 23) and in Singapore (from 9 to 17).

In the U.S., 47 executions were recorded in 2025 (up from 25 in 2024) across 11 jurisdictions. These were Alabama (5), Arizona (2), Florida (19), Indiana (2), Louisiana (1), Mississippi (2), Missouri (1), Oklahoma (2), South Carolina (5), Tennessee (3) and Texas (5). Meanwhile, there were 23 new death sentences recorded across 8 states: Alabama (4), Arizona (2), California (5), Florida (5), Missouri (1), North Carolina (2), Pennsylvania (1) and Texas (3).