US Capital Punishment Cases Surged in the Past Year to Peak 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 surge is linked to a focused campaign to reinvigorate judicial killings, coupled with a notable shift in the approach of the nation's highest court toward last-minute appeals.

A Sobering Count: 47 Executions in a Single Year

A total of 47 men—all of whom were male—were executed by individual states maintaining the death penalty in 2025. This number is nearly double the total from 2024, marking the highest annual total for executions in the country since 2009.

"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is increasingly unpopular with the public even as elected officials carry out death sentences in search of diminishing political benefits."

An International Exception

This pronounced rise further isolates the US from nearly all other developed nations, very few of which still carry out executions. In recent years, only Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have carried out executions among similarly developed states.

Contradictory Trends

The resurgence of executions clashes directly with broader patterns and modern public opinion. Over the past two decades, the use of the death penalty had been in a steady decrease. At the same time, surveys indicate support for capital punishment for those convicted of murder has fallen to a 50-year low, with 52% of respondents in favor. Most of citizens 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 presidential directive 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 prior administration.

"The tone is set, the national dialogue sent down from the top—you use violence and cruelty to solve social problems," remarked a prominent activist against executions.

A Surge in State Executions

The national initiative was echoed and intensified at the level of individual states. Florida emerged as a particular extreme case, carrying out 19 executions in 2025—a staggering increase from just one the previous year. This broke the state's prior annual record.

Together with Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, these four states were the source of almost three-quarters of all executions this year. Overall, 12 states actively used their execution facilities, up from nine in 2024.

More Extreme Execution Protocols

As more executions occurred, some states adopted more controversial methods. Louisiana concluded a 15-year hiatus and became the second state to employ nitrogen gas as an execution method. Observers reported the condemned individual visibly shook for several minutes during the procedure.

In another development, a different state performed the initial use by firing squad in the US since 2010, deploying this approach for three of its five executions this year. Reports suggested that in one case, faulty targeting may have caused extended agony for the individual.

A Changed Judicial Landscape

The surge in executions is also linked to the posture 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 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. "We’re now operating without a safety net," noted a law professor. "The judiciary are meant to act as a backstop, but that stop gap has been removed."