US Executions Skyrocketed in 2025 to Highest Level in Over a Decade and a Half.

The count of executions in the US has sharply risen in 2025, hitting a level not seen in since 2009. This sharp uptick 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 eleventh-hour pleas.

A Sobering Count: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year

Exactly 47 men—each one were male—were put to death by states that utilize the death penalty this year. This figure represents nearly double the count from 2024, constituting the highest annual total for capital punishment in the country since 2009.

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

A Global Outlier

This pronounced rise further isolates the United States from nearly all other developed nations, very few of which still carry out executions. In recent years, only a handful of Asian nations have carried out capital punishment among peer countries.

Contradictory Trends

The comeback of executions clashes directly with long-term trends and current public sentiment. For years, the use of the death penalty had been in a steady decrease. Meanwhile, surveys indicate support for capital punishment for murder convictions has reached a half-century low, with 52% of respondents in favor. A majority of adults 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 "Reinstating Capital Punishment." This order aimed to guarantee that laws authorizing capital punishment were "respected and faithfully implemented," 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," stated a prominent anti-death penalty advocate.

A Surge in State Executions

The national initiative was mirrored and amplified at the level of individual states. 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 broke the state's previous record.

Alongside several other southern states, these four states were responsible for almost three-quarters of all executions this year. In total, a dozen states employed their death chambers, up from nine states in 2024.

More Extreme Execution Protocols

As activity increased, some states adopted increasingly extreme methods. Louisiana concluded a 15-year hiatus and followed another state's lead to employ nitrogen hypoxia as an means of execution. Witnesses reported the condemned individual convulsed for multiple minutes during the process.

Meanwhile, South Carolina 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 an instance, imprecise aim may have prolonged suffering 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 halt an execution in 2025, a rare display of reluctance to intervene.

This marks a change from the court's traditional function as a final avenue for appeals based on innocence claims, constitutional arguments, or allegations of cruel punishment. "We’re now operating lacking a crucial backup," noted a law professor. "The judiciary are meant to act as a final check, but that safeguard has been eviscerated."