US Executions Skyrocketed in 2025 to Peak in 16 Years.

The count of state-sanctioned killings in the US has sharply risen in 2025, reaching a level not seen in 16 years. This sharp uptick is attributed to a focused campaign to reinvigorate judicial killings, coupled with a notable shift in the approach of the US Supreme Court toward eleventh-hour pleas.

A Grim Tally: 47 Executions in a Single Year

Exactly 47 individuals—each one were male—were put to death by individual states maintaining the death penalty this year. This number is nearly double the total from 2024, 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 public even as politicians schedule executions in search of waning political benefits."

A Global Outlier

This sharp increase further isolates the United States from nearly all other developed nations, almost none of which still carry out executions. In recent years, just Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have carried out executions among peer countries.

A Public Opinion Divide

The comeback of state killings stands in stark contrast with broader patterns 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 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.

Presidential Influence

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

"It’s in the air, it’s in the national rhetoric sent down from the top—the idea is to use harsh measures to solve social problems," remarked a well-known activist against executions.

A Surge in State Executions

The national initiative was mirrored and amplified at the level of individual states. The state of Florida became a notable outlier, carrying out 19 executions in 2025—a dramatic 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. In total, 12 states employed their death chambers, up from nine states in 2024.

More Extreme Execution Protocols

As activity increased, some states adopted more controversial techniques. Louisiana ended a long period without executions and became the second state to use nitrogen hypoxia as an means of execution. Witnesses reported the condemned individual visibly shook for multiple minutes during the procedure.

Meanwhile, South Carolina carried out the first execution by a squad of shooters in the US since 2010, using this method for three of its total executions this year. Reports suggested that in an instance, faulty targeting may have prolonged suffering for the individual.

The Supreme Court's Role

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

This marks a change from the court's historical role as a last resort for legal challenges based on innocence claims, constitutional arguments, or allegations of cruel punishment. "We’re now operating 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."