Executions nearly doubled in the U.S. last year, and soared abroad
The number of executions globally reached a 44-year high in 2025, with a 78% increase from the previous year, according to Amnesty International. The United States nearly doubled its executions, with Florida accounting for 19 of the 47 carried out across 11 states. Iran was responsible for the majority of global executions, using the death penalty extensively amid ongoing political repression and strict drug laws.
- ▪Amnesty International reported 2,707 executions in 17 countries in 2025, a 78% increase from 1,518 in 2024.
- ▪Iran executed 2,159 people in 2025, more than double its total from 2024, largely due to political repression and drug offenses.
- ▪The U.S. carried out 47 executions in 2025, up from 25 in 2024, with Florida leading the nation at 19 executions.
- ▪Support for the death penalty in the U.S. has declined to 52%, the lowest level since 1972, according to Gallup polling.
- ▪Amnesty International does not include China in its totals, citing thousands of suspected unreported executions in that country.
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| Original publisher | NPR Topics: News |
| Canonical URL | https://www.npr.org/2026/05/17/nx-s1-5824521/executions-amnesty-international-report |
| Publication time | Sun, 17 May 2026 20:01:00 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-17T12:07:13.079Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-18T04:00:14.195Z |
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World Executions nearly doubled in the U.S. last year, and soared abroad May 17, 20268:01 AM ET By Alana Wise Of the 11 U.S. states that executed prisoners in 2025, Florida led the way with 19 executions. Curt Anderson/AP hide caption toggle caption Curt Anderson/AP The number of executions around the globe spiked to a 44-year high in 2025, according to a new report from Amnesty International, with state-sanctioned killings nearly doubling in the United States in the span of a year. A total of 2,707 people were killed in 17 countries related to criminal charges ranging from drug offenses to acts of political dissidence, the human rights organization reported Sunday. That marks a 78% rise in executions from the previous year, when Amnesty recorded 1,518 executions.
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