Global executions reached a 44-year high in 2025, according to a report from Amnesty International [3].
The findings suggest a reversal in the long-term global trend toward the abolition of the death penalty. While some nations have ended capital punishment, a small number of countries are intensifying their use of the practice, creating a stark divide in international human rights standards.
Amnesty International said there was a record increase in the number of death sentences and executions worldwide during 2025 [1]. The organization said China is the world's leading executioner, accounting for the highest number of cases [1, 2].
Iran saw a particularly sharp escalation in the use of capital punishment. Executions in Iran nearly doubled compared with the figures recorded in 2024 [1]. This near 100% increase contributed significantly to the global spike [1].
The surge in 2025 follows a volatile few years for capital punishment. For context, the organization said executions worldwide increased by 53% in 2022 [4].
Despite the record numbers, some reports indicate that the total number of countries carrying out executions is actually declining [5]. This suggests that while fewer governments are using the death penalty, those that do are executing prisoners at a much higher rate than in previous decades.
The report said that the continued use of the death penalty in China and the rapid acceleration in Iran are the primary drivers of the current global statistics [1, 2].
“Global executions reached a 44-year high in 2025”
The data reveals a growing concentration of capital punishment within a few specific jurisdictions. While the global movement toward abolition continues in terms of the number of participating countries, the sheer volume of executions is being driven upward by a few states. This indicates that the death penalty is becoming a more intensive tool of state control in specific regions, offsetting the progress made by countries that have outlawed the practice.
