US Executions Hit 16-Year High Following Trump Order and Supreme Court Decisions
The interior of a US Penitentiary execution room is seen March 22, 1995, in Terre Haute, Indiana. (AP Photo/Chuck Robinson, file)
US execution chambers were busier in 2025 than at any time since 2009. States put 47 men to death this year, nearly twice the number carried out in 2024. According to The Guardian, the increase comes even as public support for capital punishment continues to decline. A Gallup poll found that 52% of Americans now favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder—the lowest level in 50 years—with most adults under 55 opposing it.
President Trump has been central to the policy shift. On his first day back in office, he signed an executive order aimed at “restoring” the death penalty, reviving federal capital prosecutions and signaling that executions were once again a priority. At the same time, the Supreme Court declined to block any execution requests this year. States responded by moving quickly, with Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas accounting for nearly three-quarters of all executions in 2025.
Florida led the country with 19 executions, more than double its previous annual record of eight. Overall, 12 states carried out executions this year, up from nine in 2024. Execution methods also shifted: Louisiana joined Alabama in using nitrogen gas, while South Carolina resumed executions by firing squad.
Beyond the United States, executions also rose sharply elsewhere. Iran Insight, citing the Human Rights Activists News Agency, reported that Iran executed 1,922 people in 2025—an increase of 106% compared with the previous year.
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