American Executions Surged in the Past Year to Highest Level in Over a Decade and a Half.

The number of executions in the US has dramatically increased in 2025, hitting a rate not seen in since 2009. This sharp uptick is linked 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 Grim Tally: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year

A total of 47 men—all of whom were male—were executed by states maintaining the death penalty in 2025. This number represents nearly double the total from 2024, marking the highest annual total for capital punishment in the United States since 2009.

"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is growing less popular with the public even as politicians schedule executions in search of waning political benefits."

An International Exception

This pronounced rise further separates the US from most other advanced economies, almost none of which still carry out executions. Currently, only a handful of Asian nations have conducted executions among similarly developed states.

A Public Opinion Divide

The comeback of state killings stands in stark contrast with long-term trends and current public sentiment. 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 citizens under the age of 55 now oppose 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," signaling a major shift from the previous presidency.

"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.

State-Level Frenzy

The national initiative was mirrored and amplified at the state level. The state of Florida became a notable outlier, carrying out 19 executions in 2025—a dramatic increase from just one the previous year. This shattered the state's previous record.

Together with Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, these four states were the source of almost 75% of all deaths this year. In total, a dozen states employed their death chambers, up from nine states in 2024.

Evolving Methods

As more executions occurred, some states turned to increasingly extreme methods. Louisiana ended a 15-year hiatus and followed another state's lead to use nitrogen gas as an execution method. Observers reported the condemned individual visibly shook for multiple minutes during the process.

Meanwhile, a different state performed the first execution by a squad of shooters in the US since 2010, using this method for three of its total executions this year. Accounts suggested that in one case, faulty targeting may have prolonged suffering for the condemned.

A Changed Judicial Landscape

The increase in executions is also linked to the position of the US Supreme Court. The majority-conservative bench rejected all applications to stay an execution in 2025, a rare display of judicial disengagement.

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. "We’re now operating without a safety net," commented a law professor. "Federal courts are supposed to serve as a backstop, but that stop gap has been eviscerated."