US Executions Skyrocketed in the Past Year to Highest Level in 16 Years.

The number of executions in the US has dramatically increased in 2025, reaching a rate not seen in since 2009. This sharp uptick is linked to a concerted push to reinvigorate judicial killings, combined with a notable shift in the approach of the US Supreme Court toward last-minute appeals.

A Grim Tally: 47 Executions in a Single Year

A total of 47 individuals—all of whom were male—were put to death by states that utilize the death penalty this year. This figure is nearly double the total from 2024, constituting the highest annual total for executions in the United States in 16 years.

"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is increasingly unpopular with the American people even as elected officials schedule executions in search of diminishing political benefits."

An International Exception

This pronounced rise further separates the United States from nearly all other developed nations, very few of which still carry out executions. In recent years, only a handful of Asian nations have conducted capital punishment among similarly developed states.

A Public Opinion Divide

The comeback of state killings stands in stark contrast with long-term trends and modern public opinion. 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 Americans in favor. Most of citizens under the age of 55 now are against it.

Presidential Influence

On his inauguration day back in office, the sitting President issued an presidential directive titled "Restoring the Death Penalty." This order sought to ensure that statutes permitting 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," remarked a prominent anti-death penalty advocate.

A Surge in State Executions

The national initiative was mirrored and intensified at the level of individual states. Florida became a notable outlier, carrying out 19 executions in 2025—a staggering increase from just one the year before. This shattered the state's prior annual record.

Together with several other southern states, these four states were responsible for almost 75% of all executions this year. In total, 12 states actively used their death chambers, up from nine states in 2024.

More Extreme Execution Protocols

As more executions occurred, some states adopted increasingly extreme methods. One state concluded 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 multiple minutes during the process.

In another development, South Carolina performed the first execution by firing squad in the US since 2010, using this method for three of its total executions this year. Accounts suggested that in an instance, 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 denied every request to stay an execution in 2025, a notable demonstration of reluctance to intervene.

This represents a shift from the court's historical role as a last resort for legal challenges based on claims of innocence, rights-based arguments, or allegations of cruel punishment. "The system now functions without a safety net," noted a law professor. "Federal courts are meant to act as a final check, but that stop gap has been removed."