If you’re looking at a map of the world today, the legal status of the death penalty looks like a shrinking island. It’s a patchy, complicated mess. Honestly, you'd think by 2026 we would have a simple "yes" or "no" answer for every country, but the law is rarely that clean. Some places keep it on the books but haven't used it since the 90s. Others are ramping up executions at a rate we haven't seen in a decade.
Basically, the world is split. On one side, you have over 140 countries that have ditched it entirely or just stopped doing it. On the other, a small group of "retentionist" nations are holding on tight. If you're asking death penalty where is it legal, you're usually looking for a list, but the why and the how are just as important.
The Big Players: Where Executions Actually Happen
It is one thing for a law to exist; it's another for a government to actually pull the lever. Right now, a tiny handful of countries are responsible for almost all the world's executions.
China is the big one. They don't release official numbers—it's treated like a state secret—but human rights groups like Amnesty International estimate they execute thousands of people every year. It’s not just for murder either. You can get the death penalty there for drug trafficking or massive corruption.
Then you have Iran. In 2025 alone, Iran executed over 1,000 people. That’s a staggering number, the highest they’ve seen in about 15 years. They use it for everything from murder to "spreading corruption on earth," which is a vague term often applied to political protesters.
Saudi Arabia is also high on the list. They hit a record in 2024 with 345 executions and haven't slowed down much in 2026. They still use beheading as a primary method, which sounds medieval to most of the West, but it’s their standard legal procedure.
The Rest of the World’s Heavy Hitters
- Egypt: They still sentence hundreds to death in mass trials, though the actual execution rate fluctuates.
- Iraq: Executions here nearly quadrupled recently, mostly tied to "terrorism" charges.
- Singapore and Vietnam: These two are famous for their zero-tolerance drug laws. In Singapore, carrying a certain amount of heroin or cannabis makes the death penalty almost a certainty.
The American Outlier: Is It Still Legal in the U.S.?
The United States is the weird kid in the G7. It’s the only country in the Americas that still executes people. But even here, the answer to "where is it legal" depends entirely on which state line you just crossed.
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As of 2026, 27 states still have the death penalty on the books. But "legal" doesn't mean "active."
Take California, for example. They have the largest death row in the country, but they haven't executed anyone since 2006. The Governor put a moratorium on it years ago. Pennsylvania and Oregon are in the same boat—legal but paused.
If you want to know where executions are actually happening in the U.S. right now, look at the South. Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Oklahoma are the most active. Florida, in particular, saw a huge spike in 2025 under Governor Ron DeSantis, accounting for a huge chunk of the national total.
In a weird twist of 2025-2026 legal drama, Alabama started using nitrogen gas. It’s a controversial method that basically replaces oxygen with nitrogen until the person suffocates. It’s sparked a massive legal debate about "cruel and unusual punishment," but for now, it's legal there.
The Abolitionist Movement: Who Just Quit?
Most of the world has decided this isn't for them anymore. Zimbabwe is one of the most recent to join the club, officially outlawing the practice in late 2024. Before that, it was Sierra Leone and Zambia.
In Europe, the death penalty is basically extinct. The only exception is Belarus. They still use it, and they keep it very quiet. The families of the condemned often aren't told when the execution will happen, and they aren't even given the body back for burial.
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Russia is a weird case. It’s technically legal, but they haven't used it since 1996. There’s been a lot of talk lately in the Russian Duma about bringing it back for "terrorists," but so far, the moratorium holds.
What Are People Actually Getting Executed For?
Most people assume the death penalty is only for serial killers or terrorists. Not true.
In many countries, drug offenses are the leading cause of death sentences. Singapore hanged 12 men in a single stretch of 2025 for drug-related crimes. In Iran, a huge percentage of those 1,000+ executions were for drugs.
Then there’s "political" crimes. In countries like Myanmar or North Korea, the death penalty is a tool for staying in power. If you’re seen as a threat to the state, the legal system is often just a fast track to an execution yard.
Why the Map Is Changing in 2026
We're seeing a weird "splitting" effect. On one hand, the "Abolitionist" group is growing. More countries are realizing that the death penalty doesn't actually deter crime better than life in prison, and it’s way more expensive because of the legal appeals.
On the other hand, the countries that do use it are using it more aggressively. They’re using it to show a "heavy hand" or to maintain order during social unrest.
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You’ve also got the "Death Row" problem. Thousands of people are sitting in cells in places like Japan, where you don't know it's your execution day until the guards show up at your door that morning. It’s a psychological torture that many international courts are starting to call out.
Summary of Where We Stand
If you need the quick version:
- Europe: All gone except Belarus.
- Americas: Only the USA (and even then, only about half the states).
- Asia: Very active in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore.
- Africa: Most countries have stopped, but a few like Somalia and Egypt are still very active.
Actionable Steps for Understanding the Data
If you’re researching this for a project or just because you’re curious about the law, don't just trust a static list. The laws change every few months.
- Check the Moratoriums: Just because a country has the law doesn't mean they use it. Check the Amnesty International annual reports for the "Real Use" vs "Legal Status" distinction.
- Look at State Laws in the U.S.: The federal government has its own death penalty, but individual states like Virginia recently abolished it. Always check the specific state legislature website for the most current status.
- Monitor "Special" Offenses: Some countries, like Israel or Brazil, allow the death penalty only during wartime or for very specific crimes like genocide. They are technically "abolitionist for ordinary crimes," which is a category you'll see in legal texts.
The trend is clearly moving toward a world without the death penalty, but we aren't there yet. For those living in Texas or Tehran, the law is still very much alive and well.
Next Steps for Your Research:
You can find the specific list of upcoming execution dates for the United States on the Death Penalty Information Center website. If you are looking for international legal frameworks, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) publishes the latest resolutions regarding the global moratorium.