American Executions Surged in the Past Year to Highest Level in Over a Decade and a Half.

The number of state-sanctioned killings in the United States has sharply risen in 2025, hitting a level not seen in 16 years. This surge is linked to a focused campaign to revive the death penalty, combined with a notable shift in the stance of the US Supreme Court toward eleventh-hour pleas.

A Sobering Count: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year

Exactly 47 individuals—all of whom were male—were put to death by individual states maintaining the death penalty in 2025. This figure is nearly double the total from 2024, constituting the most active period for capital punishment in the country in 16 years.

"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is growing less popular with the American people even as elected officials carry out death sentences in search of waning political benefits."

An International Exception

This sharp increase further separates the United States from most other advanced economies, very few of which continue the practice. Currently, only a handful of Asian nations have conducted executions among similarly developed states.

A Public Opinion Divide

The comeback of state killings stands in stark contrast with long-term trends and current public sentiment. Over the past two decades, the use of the death penalty had been in a steady decrease. At the same time, surveys indicate approval of capital punishment for murder convictions has reached a half-century low, with 52% of Americans in favor. Most of citizens under the age of 55 now oppose it.

Executive Action Sets the Tone

On his inauguration day back in office, the sitting President issued an presidential directive 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 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," stated a prominent activist against executions.

A Surge in State Executions

The federal push was echoed and amplified at the state level. The state of Florida became a particular outlier, conducting 19 executions in 2025—a dramatic increase from just one the year before. This broke the state's previous record.

Together with Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, these a quartet of jurisdictions were responsible for almost 75% 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 more executions occurred, some states adopted more controversial methods. Louisiana ended a long period without executions and became the second state to employ nitrogen gas as an means of execution. Witnesses reported the prisoner visibly shook for multiple minutes during the process.

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

A Changed Judicial Landscape

The surge in executions is also linked to the position of the nation's highest court. The majority-conservative bench rejected all applications 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 last resort for appeals based on claims of innocence, constitutional arguments, or allegations of cruel punishment. "The system now functions without a safety net," noted a law professor. "The judiciary are meant to act as a backstop, but that stop gap has been eviscerated."