American Executions Skyrocketed in 2025 to Highest Level in 16 Years.

The count of state-sanctioned killings in the United States has dramatically increased in 2025, hitting a level not seen in 16 years. This sharp uptick is attributed to a focused campaign to revive judicial killings, combined with a notable shift in the approach of the US Supreme Court toward last-minute appeals.

A Sobering Count: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year

A total of 47 individuals—each one were male—were put to death by individual states that utilize the death penalty this year. This figure is nearly twice the count from 2024, marking the highest annual total for executions in the country since 2009.

"Data indicates that the death penalty in 2025 is increasingly unpopular with the public 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 still carry out executions. Currently, just Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have conducted executions among peer countries.

A Public Opinion Divide

The comeback of executions stands in stark contrast with long-term trends and modern public opinion. For years, the use of the death penalty had been in gradual decline. Meanwhile, polling indicate approval of capital punishment for murder convictions has reached a half-century low, with 52% of respondents in favor. Most of adults under the age of 55 now oppose it.

Executive Action Sets the Tone

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 "upheld and properly enforced," signaling a major shift from the previous presidency.

"The tone is set, the national dialogue sent down from the top—you use violence and cruelty to solve social problems," remarked a well-known activist against executions.

State-Level Frenzy

The national initiative was echoed and intensified at the level of individual states. Florida became a particular extreme case, carrying out 19 executions in 2025—a dramatic increase from just one the previous year. This broke the state's previous record.

Alongside Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, these four states were the source of almost three-quarters of all deaths this year. Overall, a dozen states actively used their execution facilities, up from nine states in 2024.

More Extreme Execution Protocols

As more executions occurred, some states turned to increasingly extreme techniques. One state concluded a 15-year hiatus and became the second state to use nitrogen hypoxia as an means of execution. Witnesses reported the prisoner visibly shook for several minutes during the procedure.

In another development, South Carolina carried out the first execution by a squad of shooters in the US since 2010, using this method for three of its total executions this year. Reports suggested that in an instance, imprecise aim may have prolonged suffering for the individual.

The Supreme Court's Role

The surge 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 halt an execution in 2025, a rare display 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 charges of excessive cruelty. "We’re now operating without a safety net," noted a law professor. "Federal courts are meant to act as a backstop, but that stop gap has been removed."