The count of executions in the US has dramatically increased in 2025, reaching a level not seen in since 2009. This sharp uptick is attributed to a focused campaign to revive judicial killings, coupled with a significant change in the stance of the nation's highest court toward last-minute appeals.
A Sobering Count: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year
Exactly 47 men—all of whom were male—were executed by states that utilize the death penalty this year. This number represents nearly double the count from the previous year, marking the most active period for executions in the country since 2009.
"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is growing less popular with the American people even as politicians schedule executions in search of waning political benefits."
A Global Outlier
This pronounced rise further separates the US from nearly all other advanced economies, almost none of which continue the practice. Currently, just Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have carried out capital punishment among peer countries.
Contradictory Trends
The comeback of executions clashes directly with broader patterns and current public sentiment. For years, the use of the death penalty had been in a steady decrease. At the same time, surveys indicate approval of capital punishment for those convicted of murder has reached a half-century low, with just over half of Americans in favor. A majority 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 sought to guarantee that statutes permitting capital punishment were "respected and faithfully implemented," marking a clear change from the prior administration.
"The tone is set, the national dialogue sent down from the top—the idea is to use harsh measures to solve social problems," remarked a well-known anti-death penalty advocate.
A Surge in State Executions
The federal push was echoed and amplified at the level of individual states. The state of Florida emerged as a notable extreme case, carrying out 19 executions in 2025—a dramatic increase from just one the previous year. This shattered the state's prior annual record.
Together with Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, these a quartet of jurisdictions were the source of almost three-quarters of all deaths this year. Overall, a dozen states employed their execution facilities, up from nine states in 2024.
More Extreme Execution Protocols
As activity increased, some states adopted more controversial techniques. One state concluded a 15-year hiatus and became the second state to use nitrogen gas as an means of execution. Witnesses reported the condemned individual visibly shook for multiple minutes during the process.
Meanwhile, a different state performed the initial use by firing squad in the US since 2010, using this method for three of its five executions this year. Reports suggested that in one case, faulty targeting may have caused extended agony for the individual.
The Supreme Court's Role
The increase in executions is also connected to the position of the nation's highest court. The court's conservative majority rejected all applications to halt an execution in 2025, a rare display of judicial disengagement.
This represents a shift from the court's traditional function as a last resort for legal challenges based on innocence claims, rights-based arguments, or allegations of cruel punishment. "We’re now operating without a safety net," commented a legal scholar. "Federal courts are supposed to serve as a backstop, but that stop gap has been eviscerated."
