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

The number of state-sanctioned killings in the US has sharply risen in 2025, hitting a level not seen in since 2009. This surge is attributed to a concerted push to reinvigorate judicial killings, combined with a notable shift in the approach of the US Supreme Court toward last-minute appeals.

A Sobering Count: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year

A total of 47 men—each one were male—were executed by individual states maintaining the death penalty in 2025. This figure represents nearly twice the total from 2024, marking the highest annual total for executions in the United States in 16 years.

"Data indicates that the death penalty in 2025 is growing less popular with the American people even as elected officials schedule executions in search of waning political benefits."

An International Exception

This sharp increase further separates the US from most other advanced economies, almost none of which still carry out executions. In recent years, only Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have conducted capital punishment among similarly developed states.

A Public Opinion Divide

The comeback of state killings stands in stark contrast with long-term trends and modern public opinion. For years, the use of the death penalty had been in gradual decline. Meanwhile, surveys indicate support for capital punishment for those convicted of murder has reached a half-century low, with 52% of respondents in favor. Most of adults under the age of 55 now are against it.

Executive Action Sets the Tone

On his first day back in office, the sitting President issued an executive order titled "Restoring the Death Penalty." This order aimed to ensure that laws authorizing 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—you use violence and cruelty to solve social problems," remarked a well-known anti-death penalty advocate.

A Surge in State Executions

The national initiative was echoed and amplified at the state level. Florida became a particular extreme case, conducting 19 executions in 2025—a staggering increase from just one the year before. This shattered the state's prior annual record.

Together with several other southern states, these a quartet of jurisdictions were the source of almost 75% of all executions this year. Overall, a dozen states actively used their death chambers, up from nine in 2024.

Evolving Methods

As more executions occurred, some states adopted more controversial techniques. Louisiana ended a 15-year hiatus and became the second state to employ nitrogen hypoxia as an means of execution. Witnesses reported the prisoner visibly shook for multiple minutes during the procedure.

Meanwhile, South Carolina performed the first execution 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 one case, faulty targeting may have prolonged suffering for the condemned.

The Supreme Court's Role

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

This represents a shift from the court's historical role as a final avenue for legal challenges based on claims of innocence, rights-based arguments, or charges of excessive cruelty. "The system now functions lacking a crucial backup," noted a law professor. "Federal courts are meant to act as a backstop, but that safeguard has been removed."