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

The number of executions in the United States has dramatically increased in 2025, reaching a level not seen in 16 years. This surge is attributed to a focused campaign to revive judicial killings, coupled with a notable shift in the stance of the US Supreme Court toward last-minute appeals.

A Grim Tally: 47 Executions in a Single Year

Exactly 47 individuals—each one were male—were executed by individual states maintaining the death penalty in 2025. This number is nearly double the total from the previous year, marking the highest annual total for executions in the United States since 2009.

"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is growing less popular with the public even as politicians carry out death sentences in search of diminishing political benefits."

An International Exception

This sharp increase further isolates the US from most other developed nations, very few of which continue the practice. In recent years, just Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have conducted executions among similarly developed states.

Contradictory Trends

The resurgence of executions stands in stark contrast with long-term trends and modern public opinion. Over the past two decades, the use of the death penalty had been in gradual decline. At the same time, surveys indicate approval of capital punishment for murder convictions has reached a half-century low, with just over half of respondents in favor. A majority of adults under the age of 55 now oppose it.

Presidential Influence

On his first day back in office, the President issued an executive order titled "Reinstating Capital Punishment." This order aimed to guarantee that statutes permitting capital punishment were "upheld and properly enforced," marking a clear change 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 activist against executions.

State-Level Frenzy

The national initiative was echoed and intensified at the state level. The state of Florida emerged as a particular outlier, conducting 19 executions in 2025—a staggering increase from just one the previous year. This shattered the state's previous record.

Together with several other southern states, these a quartet of jurisdictions were the source of almost three-quarters of all deaths this year. In total, a dozen states actively used their execution facilities, up from nine in 2024.

Evolving Methods

As more executions occurred, some states adopted more controversial methods. Louisiana concluded a 15-year hiatus and became the second state to use nitrogen gas as an means of execution. Witnesses reported the prisoner convulsed for multiple minutes during the procedure.

Meanwhile, a different state carried out the first execution by firing squad 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 increase in death sentences carried out is also connected 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 judicial disengagement.

This represents a shift from the court's traditional function as a final avenue for legal challenges based on claims of innocence, constitutional arguments, or charges of excessive cruelty. "The system now functions without a safety net," noted a law professor. "Federal courts are supposed to serve as a final check, but that stop gap has been eviscerated."