Global Execution Spike in 2025: Record High Amid Growing Controversy

Amnesty International’s 2026 report documented 2,707 state-sanctioned executions in 2025, a 78 % increase from the 1,518 recorded in 2024. The tally spans 17 countries, with Iran responsible for 2,159 deaths, Saudi Arabia for at least 356, and the United States for 47 executions across 11 states. Florida alone accounted for 19 of the U.S. executions.

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Two distinct dynamics drove the surge. In Iran, authorities have intensified the death penalty as a tool to suppress dissent following the 2022 women’s-rights protests. In the United States, the rise is linked to Florida’s 2023 legal reforms under Governor Ron DeSantis, which removed the requirement for a unanimous jury recommendation and lowered the threshold for capital punishment. Public support for the death penalty in the United States has fallen to 52 % from a peak of 80 % in 1994, according to Gallup.

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Execution totals for 2025 were: Iran 2,159; Saudi Arabia >=356; United States 47 (Florida 19); the remaining 13 nations together accounted for 185 deaths.

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The sharp increase revives debate over whether capital punishment serves as a deterrent or functions as state repression. Amnesty International characterizes the death penalty as a severe violation of human dignity. In the United States, declining public support and a rise in jury refusals to impose death sentences signal growing skepticism about fairness and efficacy.

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Amnesty International reiterated its opposition to the death penalty, citing risks of wrongful convictions and disproportionate impact on low-income and minority groups. The Death Penalty Information Center reported that juries are increasingly rejecting death sentences, citing fairness concerns. Florida’s governor argued that capital punishment functions as a deterrent and is appropriate for the most egregious offenses.

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Human-rights groups argue that the expanded use of executions in Iran and Saudi Arabia reflects state repression of dissent. U.S. critics highlight systemic bias, mental-health concerns, and the irreversible risk of executing innocent individuals as reasons to halt capital punishment.

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Amnesty International’s tally excludes “suspected thousands” of executions in China, which it describes as the world’s leading executioner, leaving a substantial gap in global statistics.

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• “Normally, Florida would only execute anywhere between one to two, sometimes a spike of six in a single year,” — Justin Mazzola, deputy director for research, Amnesty International

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• “ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.” — Amnesty International

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• “Our own research shows that the majority of U.S. juries are rejecting death sentences for a variety of reasons,” — Robin Maher, executive director, Death Penalty Information Center

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• “strong deterrent” — Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida

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• “an appropriate punishment for the worst offenders.” — Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida

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