US Executions Surged in the Past Year to Peak in Over a Decade and a Half.

The count of executions in the United States has dramatically increased in 2025, hitting a rate not seen in 16 years. This surge is linked to a concerted push to revive the death penalty, coupled with a notable shift in the stance of the nation's highest court toward last-minute appeals.

A Grim Tally: 47 Executions in a Single Year

A total of 47 men—each one were male—were put to death by individual states maintaining the death penalty this year. This figure is nearly twice the count from the previous year, marking the highest annual total for capital punishment in the United States in 16 years.

"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is growing less popular with the American people even as elected officials schedule executions in search of diminishing political benefits."

An International Exception

This pronounced rise further separates the US from nearly all other advanced economies, very few of which continue the practice. In recent years, just a handful of Asian nations have carried out executions among peer countries.

A Public Opinion Divide

The comeback of state killings stands in stark contrast with broader patterns and modern public opinion. Over the past two decades, the use of the death penalty had been in a steady decrease. At the same time, polling indicate support for capital punishment for murder convictions has fallen to a 50-year low, with just over half of respondents in favor. Most of citizens under the age of 55 now are against 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 sought to ensure that laws authorizing capital punishment were "respected and faithfully implemented," marking a clear change 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," stated a well-known activist against executions.

A Surge in State Executions

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

Together with several other southern states, these four states were the source of almost three-quarters of all executions this year. In total, 12 states employed their execution facilities, up from nine in 2024.

Evolving Methods

As more executions occurred, some states adopted more controversial methods. One state concluded a long period without executions and followed another state's lead to employ nitrogen gas as an execution method. Observers reported the condemned individual visibly shook for several minutes during the process.

Meanwhile, a different state carried out the initial use by firing squad in the US since 2010, deploying this approach for three of its five executions this year. Accounts suggested that in one case, faulty targeting may have caused extended agony for the condemned.

The Supreme Court's Role

The increase in executions is also linked to the position of the nation's highest court. The majority-conservative bench denied every request to stay an execution in 2025, a notable demonstration of reluctance to intervene.

This marks a change 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. "The system now functions without a safety net," noted a law professor. "Federal courts are meant to act as a backstop, but that safeguard has been removed."