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

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 focused campaign to reinvigorate the death penalty, 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 men—each one were male—were executed by individual states maintaining the death penalty this year. This figure represents nearly twice the count from 2024, marking the highest annual total 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 carry out death sentences in search of waning political benefits."

An International Exception

This pronounced rise further isolates the US from nearly all other developed nations, very few of which still carry out executions. In recent years, only Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have conducted capital punishment among peer countries.

Contradictory Trends

The comeback of state killings stands in stark contrast with broader patterns and current public sentiment. For years, the use of the death penalty had been in gradual decline. At the same time, surveys indicate support for capital punishment for those convicted of murder has reached a half-century low, with 52% of respondents in favor. A majority of citizens under the age of 55 now are against it.

Presidential Influence

On his first day back in office, the sitting President issued an presidential directive titled "Restoring the Death Penalty." This order aimed to guarantee that laws authorizing capital punishment were "respected and faithfully implemented," signaling a major shift from the prior administration.

"It’s in the air, it’s in the national rhetoric sent down from the top—the idea is to use harsh measures to solve social problems," remarked a well-known activist against executions.

State-Level Frenzy

The national initiative was echoed and intensified at the state level. 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 prior annual record.

Together with several other southern states, these a quartet of jurisdictions were responsible for almost 75% of all deaths this year. Overall, a dozen states actively used their execution facilities, up from nine in 2024.

Evolving Methods

As activity increased, some states turned to more controversial techniques. One state concluded a long period without executions and followed another state's lead to use nitrogen gas as an execution method. Witnesses reported the condemned individual visibly shook for several minutes during the procedure.

In another development, South Carolina performed the initial use by a squad of shooters in the US since 2010, using this method for three of its five executions this year. Accounts suggested that in an instance, faulty targeting may have prolonged suffering for the individual.

The Supreme Court's Role

The increase in executions is also connected to the position of the US Supreme Court. The majority-conservative bench denied every request to halt an execution in 2025, a notable demonstration of judicial disengagement.

This marks a change from the court's traditional function as a last resort for legal challenges based on innocence claims, constitutional arguments, or allegations of cruel punishment. "The system now functions lacking a crucial backup," noted a legal scholar. "The judiciary are supposed to serve as a final check, but that safeguard has been eviscerated."