US Executions Skyrocketed in 2025 to Peak in 16 Years.
The count of state-sanctioned killings in the US has dramatically increased in 2025, reaching a level not seen in since 2009. This sharp uptick is attributed to a concerted push to reinvigorate the death penalty, coupled with a notable shift in the approach of the US Supreme Court toward eleventh-hour pleas.
A Grim Tally: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year
Exactly 47 menâall of whom were maleâwere put to death by states maintaining the death penalty this year. This figure is nearly double the count from 2024, constituting the most active period for executions in the United States in 16 years.
"Data indicates that the death penalty in 2025 is growing less popular with the American people even as politicians carry out death sentences in search of diminishing political benefits."
An International Exception
This pronounced rise further isolates the US from most other developed nations, very few of which still carry out executions. Currently, only Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have carried out capital punishment among similarly developed states.
A Public Opinion Divide
The resurgence of executions clashes directly with broader patterns and modern public opinion. For years, the use of the death penalty had been in gradual decline. At the same time, polling indicate support for capital punishment for those convicted of murder has reached a half-century low, with 52% of respondents in favor. Most of adults 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 "Reinstating Capital Punishment." This order aimed to guarantee that statutes permitting capital punishment were "upheld and properly enforced," marking a clear change from the previous presidency.
"The tone is set, the national dialogue sent down from the topâyou use violence and cruelty to solve social problems," stated a well-known activist against executions.
A Surge in State Executions
The national initiative was echoed and amplified at the state level. Florida emerged as a particular outlier, conducting 19 executions in 2025âa staggering increase from just one the previous year. This shattered the state's prior annual record.
Alongside several other southern states, these four states were responsible for almost three-quarters of all deaths this year. Overall, 12 states actively used their death chambers, up from nine in 2024.
Evolving Methods
As activity increased, some states turned to more controversial techniques. Louisiana concluded a long period without executions and followed another state's lead to use nitrogen gas as an means of execution. Observers reported the prisoner visibly shook for several minutes during the process.
Meanwhile, South Carolina performed the initial use by a squad of shooters in the US since 2010, deploying this approach for three of its five executions this year. Reports suggested that in one case, imprecise aim may have prolonged suffering for the condemned.
The Supreme Court's Role
The increase in death sentences carried out is also linked to the posture of the US Supreme Court. The court's conservative majority rejected all applications to stay an execution in 2025, a rare display of reluctance to intervene.
This marks a change from the court's traditional function as a final avenue for legal challenges based on claims of innocence, rights-based arguments, or charges of excessive cruelty. "Weâre now operating without a safety net," commented a law professor. "The judiciary are meant to act as a final check, but that stop gap has been removed."
