American Executions Surged in 2025 to Peak in Over a Decade and a Half.

The number of state-sanctioned killings in the US has dramatically increased in 2025, reaching a rate not seen in 16 years. This sharp uptick is linked to a concerted push to revive the death penalty, coupled with a significant change 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 individuals—all of whom were male—were put to death by individual states that utilize the death penalty this year. This number is nearly double the total from 2024, constituting the most active period for executions in the United States since 2009.

"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is increasingly unpopular with the American people even as politicians schedule executions in search of diminishing political benefits."

A Global Outlier

This pronounced rise further separates the United States from nearly all other advanced economies, almost none of which continue the practice. Currently, just a handful of Asian nations have carried out capital punishment among peer countries.

A Public Opinion Divide

The resurgence of executions clashes directly with broader patterns 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 fallen to a 50-year low, with 52% of Americans 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 President issued an executive order titled "Restoring the Death Penalty." This order sought to ensure that statutes permitting capital punishment were "respected and faithfully implemented," marking a clear change from the prior administration.

"It’s in the air, it’s in the national rhetoric sent down from the top—you use violence and cruelty to solve social problems," stated a well-known activist against executions.

State-Level Frenzy

The national initiative was echoed and intensified at the level of individual states. The state of Florida became a particular outlier, carrying out 19 executions in 2025—a staggering increase from just one the year before. This shattered the state's prior annual record.

Alongside Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, these four states were responsible for almost three-quarters of all executions this year. In total, 12 states actively used their death chambers, up from nine states in 2024.

More Extreme Execution Protocols

As activity increased, some states adopted more controversial methods. Louisiana ended a 15-year hiatus and became the second state to use nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method. Observers 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, deploying this approach for three of its five executions this year. Reports suggested that in one case, faulty targeting may have caused extended agony for the condemned.

The Supreme Court's Role

The increase in death sentences carried out is also linked to the posture of the US Supreme Court. The court's conservative majority rejected all applications to stay an execution in 2025, a rare display of reluctance to intervene.

This represents a shift from the court's historical role as a last resort for legal challenges based on claims of innocence, constitutional arguments, or charges of excessive cruelty. "We’re now operating lacking a crucial backup," commented a law professor. "The judiciary are supposed to serve as a backstop, but that safeguard has been removed."