US Executions Skyrocketed in the Past Year to Peak in 16 Years.
The count of state-sanctioned killings in the US has sharply risen in 2025, hitting a level not seen in 16 years. This sharp uptick is linked to a concerted push to reinvigorate judicial killings, combined with a notable shift in the stance of the US Supreme Court toward eleventh-hour pleas.
A Grim Tally: 47 Executions in a Single Year
Exactly 47 men—each one were male—were executed by individual states maintaining the death penalty in 2025. This number represents nearly double the count from the previous year, constituting the most active period for capital punishment in the United States since 2009.
"Data indicates that the death penalty in 2025 is increasingly unpopular with the public even as elected officials carry out death sentences in search of diminishing political benefits."
An International Exception
This pronounced rise further separates the US from nearly all other developed nations, almost none of which still carry out executions. Currently, only Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have carried out capital punishment among peer countries.
Contradictory Trends
The comeback of executions clashes directly with long-term trends and modern public opinion. Over the past two decades, the use of the death penalty had been in gradual decline. Meanwhile, polling indicate approval of capital punishment for those convicted of murder has fallen to a 50-year low, with just over half of Americans in favor. Most of citizens under the age of 55 now are against it.
Executive Action Sets the Tone
On his first day back in office, the sitting President issued an presidential directive titled "Restoring the Death Penalty." This order sought to guarantee that statutes permitting capital punishment were "upheld and properly enforced," marking a clear change from the previous presidency.
"It’s in the air, it’s in the national rhetoric sent down from the top—the idea is to use harsh measures to solve social problems," remarked a prominent activist against executions.
State-Level Frenzy
The national initiative was mirrored and amplified at the state level. The state of Florida became a particular outlier, conducting 19 executions in 2025—a staggering increase from just one the year before. This shattered the state's previous record.
Together with Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, these a quartet of jurisdictions were responsible for almost 75% of all deaths this year. Overall, 12 states employed their execution facilities, up from nine in 2024.
More Extreme Execution Protocols
As more executions occurred, some states adopted more controversial techniques. One state concluded a long period without executions and became the second state to employ nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method. Observers reported the prisoner convulsed for multiple minutes during the process.
In another development, a different state performed the first execution by firing squad in the US since 2010, deploying this approach for three of its total executions this year. Accounts suggested that in one case, imprecise aim may have prolonged suffering for the individual.
A Changed Judicial Landscape
The increase in executions is also connected to the position of the nation's highest court. The court's conservative majority rejected all applications to halt an execution in 2025, a notable demonstration of reluctance to intervene.
This marks a change from the court's traditional function as a last resort for appeals based on innocence claims, constitutional arguments, or allegations of cruel punishment. "We’re now operating without a safety net," noted a law professor. "Federal courts are meant to act as a backstop, but that stop gap has been removed."
