New york: Amnesty International recorded a significant increase in executions worldwide in 2025, with at least 2,707 executions carried out across 17 countries, marking a 78% rise from 2024 figures. This represents the highest number since 1981, excluding China, where execution data remains a state secret.
According to Amnesty International, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the USA topped the list of countries with the highest number of executions. Notably, the number of executions in Iran reached 2,159, the highest recorded by Amnesty International in the country since 1981. China continued to lead globally, with thousands of unrecorded executions suspected. The report highlighted that executions were recorded in 17 countries, an increase from 15 in 2024.
The report also revealed that 1,257 executions were conducted unlawfully for drug-related offenses across five countries, with Iran accounting for nearly half of these. Public executions were noted in Afghanistan and Iran, and minors were executed in Iran and Saudi Arabia for crimes committed when they were under 18. Various methods of execution were used, including beheading, hanging, lethal injection, shooting, and nitrogen gas asphyxiation.
Globally, 2,334 new death sentences were recorded across 48 countries, an increase from 2024. Six countries imposed death sentences after a hiatus, with Amnesty International noting commutations or pardons in 24 countries. The total number of people under sentence of death by the end of 2025 was at least 25,508.
In regional developments, the USA was the sole country in its region to execute individuals, with 11 states responsible for 47 executions. Asia-Pacific remained the leading region for executions, with seven countries, including Japan and Taiwan, resuming executions after pauses. In Europe and Central Asia, Belarus recorded no new death sentences or executions for the first time under President Alexander Lukashenko.
The Middle East and North Africa saw an alarming rise in executions, with Iran and Saudi Arabia leading. The UAE resumed executions for the first time since 2021. In Sub-Saharan Africa, executions decreased, but death sentences rose significantly, with legislative initiatives to abolish the death penalty noted in several countries.
Amnesty International's report underscores the complex global landscape of capital punishment, with some regions moving towards abolition while others continue or increase their use of the death penalty.