American Executions Skyrocketed in the Past Year to Highest Level in Over a Decade and a Half.

The number of executions in the United States has dramatically increased in 2025, reaching a rate not seen in 16 years. This sharp uptick is attributed to a focused campaign to revive judicial killings, coupled with a notable shift in the stance of the US Supreme Court toward last-minute appeals.

A Sobering Count: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year

A total of 47 individuals—all of whom were male—were executed by states that utilize the death penalty in 2025. This figure represents nearly twice the total from 2024, marking the most active period for capital punishment in the country in 16 years.

"Data indicates that the death penalty in 2025 is growing less popular with the American people even as politicians schedule executions in search of diminishing political benefits."

An International Exception

This sharp increase further isolates the United States from nearly all other advanced economies, very few of which continue the practice. Currently, only Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have carried out executions among similarly developed states.

A Public Opinion Divide

The resurgence of state killings stands in stark contrast with long-term trends and current public sentiment. 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 reached a half-century low, with 52% of respondents in favor. Most of citizens under the age of 55 now are against it.

Presidential Influence

On his inauguration day back in office, the President issued an presidential directive titled "Restoring the Death Penalty." This order aimed to guarantee that laws authorizing capital punishment were "upheld and properly enforced," marking a clear change from the prior administration.

"It’s in the air, it’s in the national rhetoric sent down from the top—you use violence and cruelty to solve social problems," stated a prominent activist against executions.

State-Level Frenzy

The national initiative was echoed and intensified at the state level. Florida emerged as a particular outlier, carrying out 19 executions in 2025—a dramatic increase from just one the year before. This shattered the state's prior annual record.

Together with Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, these four states were responsible for almost three-quarters of all executions this year. In total, a dozen states actively used their execution facilities, up from nine in 2024.

Evolving Methods

As more executions occurred, some states turned to more controversial methods. Louisiana ended a long period without executions and became the second state to employ nitrogen gas as an means of execution. Witnesses reported the prisoner convulsed for several minutes during the procedure.

In another development, a different state carried out the initial use by firing squad in the US since 2010, deploying this approach for three of its total executions this year. Reports suggested that in one case, imprecise aim may have caused extended agony for the condemned.

The Supreme Court's Role

The surge in death sentences carried out is also connected to the posture of the nation's highest court. The majority-conservative bench rejected all applications to stay an execution in 2025, a rare display of judicial disengagement.

This marks a change from the court's traditional function as a last resort for legal challenges based on innocence claims, constitutional arguments, or allegations of cruel punishment. "We’re now operating without a safety net," noted a legal scholar. "The judiciary are meant to act as a backstop, but that safeguard has been removed."