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 concerted push to revive judicial killings, combined with a significant change in the stance of the US Supreme Court toward last-minute appeals.
A Grim Tally: 47 Executions in a Single Year
Exactly 47 individuals—all of whom were male—were put to death by individual states that utilize the death penalty in 2025. This figure is nearly double the total from 2024, marking the most active period for executions in the country in 16 years.
"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is increasingly unpopular with the public even as elected officials schedule executions in search of waning political benefits."
A Global Outlier
This pronounced rise further separates the US from nearly all other developed nations, very few of which continue the practice. In recent years, only Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have conducted capital punishment among similarly developed states.
A Public Opinion Divide
The resurgence of executions stands in stark contrast with long-term trends and current public sentiment. For years, the use of the death penalty had been in a steady decrease. At the same time, surveys indicate support for 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 oppose it.
Presidential Influence
On his inauguration day back in office, the sitting President issued an executive order titled "Restoring the Death Penalty." This order aimed to guarantee that laws authorizing 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," stated a prominent anti-death penalty advocate.
A Surge in State Executions
The federal push was mirrored and intensified at the state level. Florida emerged as a notable outlier, conducting 19 executions in 2025—a dramatic increase from just one the previous year. This broke the state's prior annual record.
Alongside several other southern states, these a quartet of jurisdictions were the source of almost 75% of all deaths this year. Overall, a dozen states employed their death chambers, up from nine in 2024.
Evolving Methods
As activity increased, some states adopted increasingly extreme methods. Louisiana ended a 15-year hiatus and followed another state's lead to use nitrogen hypoxia as an means of execution. Observers reported the prisoner visibly shook for multiple minutes during the process.
In another development, South Carolina performed the initial use by firing squad in the US since 2010, deploying this approach for three of its five executions this year. Accounts 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 posture of the US Supreme Court. The majority-conservative bench rejected all applications to halt an execution in 2025, a notable demonstration of reluctance to intervene.
This represents a shift from the court's traditional function as a final avenue for legal challenges based on innocence claims, rights-based arguments, or allegations of cruel punishment. "We’re now operating lacking a crucial backup," commented a legal scholar. "The judiciary are supposed to serve as a backstop, but that stop gap has been removed."
