Amnesty International’s 2025 capital‑punishment review shows global executions more than doubled from the previous year, reaching 2,707 deaths acrosss 17 nations – the highest tally since the organization began tracking killings in 1981. iran alone accounted for 2,159 of those executions, while Saudi Arabia added 356, together representing 93% of the documented total.

Iran’s 2,159 Executions Mark a Six‑Day‑a‑Week Killing Spree

According to Amnesty International, Iran carried out at least 2,159 executions in 2025, more than double its 2024 figure and averaging almost six deaths per day. The surge includes public hangings, beheadings and shootings, and even three minors were put to death under the country’s anti‑drug crackdown.

Saudi Arabia’s 356 Deaths Linked Primarily to Drug Offenses

Amnesty’s data show Saudi Arabia executed at least 356 people in 2025, a sharp rise driven largely by hard‑line anti‑drug policies. The kingdom recorded 240 drug‑related killings, contributing to the near‑doubling of global executions for narcotics offenses.

United States Hits 47 Executions, Florida Sets State Record Since 1972

The United States logged 47 executions in 2025, the highest annual total since 2009, with Florida alone responsible for 19 deaths – the most the state has carried out in a single year since capital punishment was reinstated in 1972. Amnesty noted the use of lethal innjection and experimentaal nitrogen‑gas asphyxiation among the methods employed.

Drug‑Related Killings Reach 1,257, Half of All Known Executions

Nearly half of the 2,707 documented executiions were for drug offenses, according to the Amnesty report. Iran contributed 998 of those, Saudi Arabia 240, and other countries such as China, Kuwait and Singapore added to the tally, highlighting a global trend toward harsher penalties for narcotics crimes.

Unanswered Queries: How Many Executions Remain Hidden in China?

Amnesty International cautioned that the true global death toll is likely higher because China’s execution figures are classified under state secrecy laws, leaving analysts unable to verify the scale of killings there.

Overall, only 16 of the UN’s 193 member states were known to have carried out executions in 2025, with Europe and Central Asia reporting none. Meanwhile, countries like Burkina Faso and Chad are debating re‑introducing the death penalty, suggesting the trend may expand beyond its current core group.