Executions worldwide hit 40-year high, Amnesty says

"The number of executions worldwide reached its highest level in more than four decades in 2025, driven largely by a sharp increase in Iran, Amnesty International said. At least 2,707 people are known to have been put to death, according to the rights group's annual review. That marks a 78% jump from 2024 and is the highest figure Amnesty has recorded since 1981, when 3,191 executions were logged. The figures exclude China, which Amnesty believes executed thousands of people, making it the world's top executioner. The country refuses to disclose data."

"Amnesty does not rely on a single data source. Instead, it collects information from official figures, court judgments, individuals sentenced to death, their families and representatives, media reports and other civil society organizations. 2,707 executions recorded in 2025, excluding China. 2,159 executions in Iran alone. 54 countries still have the death penalty. 2,334 new death sentences were recorded in 2025. 25,508 people were under sentence of death at the end of 2025. Only 17 countries carried out executions in 2025."

"The group attributed the surge to governments using capital punishment to project authority, saying they had placed "this cruel punishment at the center of flawed public security and 'tough on crime' narratives to assert control, project state power and score political points." Beheading, hanging, lethal injection, shooting and nitrogen gas asphyxiation were used as methods of execution in 2025. Data on executions is not published in many countries, leaving Amnesty to point out that its figures are the minimum recorded."

""The true overall figures are likely to be higher," the group said. Amnesty was able to confirm that executions were carried out in North Korea and Vietnam, but there was insufficient information to determine credible minimum figures. China, Iran and Saudi Arabia dominate global executions. Iran accounte"

At least 2,707 executions were recorded worldwide in 2025, excluding China, which Amnesty believes executed thousands but does not disclose data. The total represents a 78% increase from 2024 and the highest figure Amnesty has recorded since 1981. Iran accounted for 2,159 executions, making it the dominant contributor to the global rise. Amnesty recorded 2,334 new death sentences in 2025 and estimated 25,508 people were under sentence of death at the end of 2025. Seventeen countries carried out executions, while 54 countries still retain the death penalty. Amnesty notes that many countries do not publish execution data, so recorded figures are minimums and true totals are likely higher.

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