August M
The number of executions carried out worldwide reached its highest known level in 44 years during 2025, according to a new report from Amnesty International.
The human rights organization says sharp increases in several countries — particularly Iran — drove a dramatic rise in the use of the death penalty over the past year, reports DR News.
Sharp increase
Amnesty International’s annual report recorded a 78% increase in known executions compared with the previous year.
According to the organization, at least 2,159 executions were documented globally in 2025, the highest figure since 1981.
The report identified 16 countries that carried out executions during the year, though Amnesty stressed that the real total is likely far higher because some governments do not publish complete data.
The organization said its findings are based on court records, media reporting, testimonies from families and lawyers, and information gathered from civil society groups.
Iran dominates figures
Iran accounted for the largest share of the increase.
Amnesty International Denmark Secretary General Vibe Klarup said the Iranian regime executed more than twice as many people in 2025 as in the previous year.
According to the report, many executions were linked to drug offenses, while others involved accusations categorized by authorities as crimes against God or the state.
Klarup said the rise intensified after conflict involving Israel and Iran earlier in the year.
“Those who could be suspected of being in cahoots with Israel were imprisoned or disappeared and were also executed,” she said.
She added that ethnic and religious minorities were particularly affected during the crackdown.
Other countries involved
The report also cited rising execution numbers in countries including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Somalia, Kuwait, Singapore, and the United States.
Amnesty noted that China is still believed to carry out the highest number of executions globally, though official figures remain secret and are thought to number in the thousands.
Iraq, North Korea, and Vietnam were also believed to have conducted executions, but reliable data was unavailable.
In the United States, the number of executions reportedly increased from 25 in 2024 to 47 in 2025.
Mixed global picture
Despite the global rise, Amnesty highlighted several countries where use of the death penalty declined or abolition efforts advanced.
Klarup noted that Belarus recorded no executions or death sentences for the first time since Alexander Lukashenko came to power in the 1990s.
The report also pointed to legislative efforts in countries such as Nigeria and Lebanon aimed at ending capital punishment.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan’s Constitutional Court reportedly ruled attempts to restore the death penalty unconstitutional.
Sources: DR News, Amnesty International
