US Capital Punishment Cases Skyrocketed 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, hitting a level not seen in since 2009. This surge is attributed 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: Nearly 50 Deaths in a Single Year

A total of 47 individuals—each one were male—were executed by states that utilize the death penalty in 2025. This figure is nearly double the total from 2024, constituting the most active period for capital punishment in the United States since 2009.

"The evidence shows that the death penalty in 2025 is growing less popular with the public even as elected officials schedule executions in search of waning political benefits."

An International Exception

This pronounced rise further separates the US from most other advanced economies, very few of which continue the practice. In recent years, just Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan have conducted capital punishment among similarly developed states.

A Public Opinion Divide

The resurgence of state killings 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. Most of adults under the age of 55 now oppose it.

Executive Action Sets the Tone

On his first day back in office, the 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," stated a prominent activist against executions.

A Surge in State Executions

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

Together with several other southern states, these four states were responsible for almost 75% of all deaths this year. Overall, 12 states employed their death chambers, up from nine states in 2024.

Evolving Methods

As more executions occurred, some states adopted increasingly extreme techniques. Louisiana concluded a long period without executions and followed another state's lead to employ nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method. Observers reported the condemned individual visibly shook for several minutes during the process.

Meanwhile, South Carolina carried out the initial use by firing squad in the US since 2010, deploying this approach for three of its total executions this year. Reports suggested that in one case, faulty targeting may have caused extended agony for the individual.

A Changed Judicial Landscape

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 rare display of judicial disengagement.

This represents a shift from the court's traditional function 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 safeguard has been eviscerated."