American Executions Skyrocketed in the Past Year to Highest Level in 16 Years.
The number of executions in the US has sharply risen in 2025, reaching a level not seen in 16 years. This sharp uptick is attributed to a focused campaign to reinvigorate judicial killings, combined with a significant change in the approach of the US Supreme Court toward eleventh-hour pleas.
A Sobering Count: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year
Exactly 47 individuals—all of whom were male—were put to death by states maintaining the death penalty this year. This number represents nearly twice the total from the previous year, constituting the highest annual total for capital punishment in the United States since 2009.
"Data indicates that the death penalty in 2025 is increasingly unpopular with the American people even as politicians carry out death sentences in search of diminishing political benefits."
A Global Outlier
This sharp increase further isolates the United States from nearly all other developed nations, almost none of which still carry out executions. In recent years, just Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have carried out capital punishment among similarly developed states.
Contradictory Trends
The comeback of state killings stands in stark contrast with broader patterns and current public sentiment. For years, the use of the death penalty had been in a steady decrease. Meanwhile, polling indicate support for capital punishment for murder convictions has reached a half-century low, with just over half of respondents in favor. A majority of adults under the age of 55 now oppose it.
Presidential Influence
On his first day back in office, the President issued an presidential directive titled "Reinstating Capital Punishment." This order aimed to guarantee that statutes permitting capital punishment were "respected and faithfully implemented," signaling a major shift from the prior administration.
"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 well-known activist against executions.
State-Level Frenzy
The federal push was echoed and intensified at the state level. The state of Florida emerged as a notable outlier, conducting 19 executions in 2025—a staggering increase from just one the previous year. This broke the state's previous record.
Together with several other southern states, these four states were responsible for almost 75% of all executions this year. Overall, a dozen states employed their death chambers, up from nine in 2024.
More Extreme Execution Protocols
As activity increased, some states adopted more controversial techniques. Louisiana ended a 15-year hiatus and became the second state to employ nitrogen gas as an means of execution. Witnesses reported the condemned individual visibly shook for several minutes during the procedure.
Meanwhile, South Carolina performed the first execution by firing squad in the US since 2010, deploying this approach for three of its five executions this year. Reports suggested that in an instance, imprecise aim may have prolonged suffering for the condemned.
The Supreme Court's Role
The surge in death sentences carried out is also linked to the position of the US Supreme Court. The majority-conservative bench rejected all applications to stay an execution in 2025, a notable demonstration of judicial disengagement.
This marks a change from the court's traditional function as a final avenue for appeals based on claims of innocence, constitutional arguments, or charges of excessive cruelty. "The system now functions without a safety net," commented a law professor. "The judiciary are meant to act as a backstop, but that safeguard has been removed."
