US Executed More People Than It Has Since 2009

US death chambers were busier in 2025 than at any point since 2009. States executed 47 men this year, nearly doubling last year's total. The Guardian reports the spike comes as public backing for capital punishment continues to ebb. A Gallup poll found 52% of Americans support the death penalty for people convicted of murder, the lowest level in half a century, with a majority of adults under 55 now against it.

At the center of the policy shift is President Trump. On his first day back in office, he signed an executive order to "restore" the death penalty, reviving federal capital prosecutions and signaling to states that executions were once again a priority. Overlaying it all is a Supreme Court that rejected every request to halt an execution this year. States have responded aggressively, with four of them—Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas—carrying out nearly three-quarters of 2025's executions.

Florida led the nation with 19, smashing its previous annual high of eight. More states are restarting or expanding executions, with 12 using the death penalty in 2025, up from nine the year before. Methods are shifting, too: Louisiana joined Alabama in using nitrogen gas, while South Carolina resumed firing-squad executions. Meanwhile, Iran Insight cites Human Rights Activists News Agency as reporting Iran executed 1,922 people in 2025, up 106% from 2024.