It feels like the world is in a tug-of-war. On one side, you’ve got this massive, decades-long push to wipe capital punishment off the map for good. On the other, a handful of countries are doubling down, cranking up their execution rates to levels we haven't seen in years. Honestly, if you’re looking for a simple "yes or no" list, it’s kinda complicated because "having" the death penalty and actually using it are two very different things.
Right now, as we move through 2026, the global landscape is a mess of contradictions. Most of the world has walked away from the gallows, but the ones who stayed are busier than ever.
The Retentionists: Who is Still Carrying Out Executions?
Basically, about 55 countries still keep the death penalty on the books and actually use it. But the real story isn't the number of countries; it's the sheer volume of executions happening in just a few spots.
China remains the biggest mystery and the biggest player. They treat their execution numbers like a state secret, but human rights groups like Amnesty International basically assume they’re killing thousands of people every year. Then you have the "Big Three" in the Middle East—Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
In 2025, Iran hit a terrifying milestone, surpassing 1,000 executions in a single year for the first time in decades. Saudi Arabia isn't far behind, recently recording its highest execution totals ever. We’re talking about a massive surge that's mostly driven by drug-related offenses and political repression. It's pretty grim.
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The United States is the weird outlier here. It’s the only country in the G7 (besides Japan) that still executes people. While many U.S. states have stopped, the ones that haven't—like Alabama and Texas—are actually speeding up. In 2025, the U.S. put 47 people to death, which is the highest number the country has seen since 2009.
A Quick Breakdown of the Top Executioners
- China: Estimated in the thousands (exact numbers are classified).
- Iran: Surpassed 1,000+ executions in 2025.
- Saudi Arabia: Hit record highs, often exceeding 300 per year recently.
- United States: 47 executions in 2025, showing a significant upward tick.
- Somalia: The most active executioner in Africa right now.
- Egypt: Frequently uses the penalty for "terrorism" and political cases.
The "Abolitionist in Practice" Grey Zone
This is where it gets confusing. You’ll find a bunch of countries that technically have the death penalty in their laws, but they haven't actually killed anyone in ten years or more. People call these "abolitionist in practice" or de facto abolitionists.
Russia is the classic example. They have a moratorium that’s been in place since 1996. Legally, the death penalty exists, but nobody gets executed. South Korea is in a similar boat. They haven't carried out an execution since 1997, yet the courts still occasionally hand out death sentences. It’s like a legal ghost—it’s there, but it doesn't do anything.
In Africa, countries like Kenya and Malawi have been in this "waiting room" for ages. They have hundreds of people on death row, but the political will to actually pull the trigger (or the lever) just isn't there anymore.
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Recent Wins for the Abolition Movement
It’s not all bad news if you’re against the practice. The momentum toward ending capital punishment is still pretty strong.
Zimbabwe finally pulled the plug on the death penalty in late 2024, joining a growing list of African nations like Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic that have moved toward total abolition. It’s a huge shift for a region where the penalty was once a standard tool of the state.
Even in places where the law hasn't changed, the mandatory death penalty is dying out. Malaysia, for instance, got rid of mandatory sentencing a couple of years back. Now, judges actually have a choice. That’s a massive deal because it means "drug mule" cases don't automatically end in a death warrant.
Why Some Countries are Doubling Down
You might wonder why, if the world is moving one way, places like Iran and the U.S. are moving the other.
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Sorta boils down to "tough on crime" politics and state control. In the Middle East, we’ve seen the death penalty used more frequently as a way to shut down protests or handle drug trafficking. In the U.S., the return of certain execution methods—like the nitrogen gas used in Alabama—shows a determination to keep the system running despite the difficulty of getting lethal injection drugs.
The methods themselves are getting more controversial too. While most countries use hanging or shooting, the U.S. has been experimenting with gas, and Saudi Arabia still uses public beheadings. It's a stark contrast to the rest of the modern world.
What to Watch For Next
If you’re following this, keep your eyes on the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Countries like Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda still have the laws, but they’re under heavy pressure to modernize. Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, Singapore remains one of the most stubborn defenders of the death penalty for drug crimes, despite international blowback.
The gap between the "abolishers" and the "executors" is widening. We’re moving toward a world where the death penalty is limited to a very small, very determined group of nations.
Actionable Steps for Further Research
If you want to stay updated on this, here is how you can actually track the changes:
- Check the Amnesty International Annual Report: Usually released in April/May, this is the "gold standard" for real numbers.
- Follow the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC): If you’re specifically interested in the U.S. or global trends affecting the West, their database is unbeatable.
- Monitor UN Resolutions: Every couple of years, the UN votes on a global moratorium. Watching which countries switch their "no" vote to an "abstain" or "yes" is the best way to see who's about to abolish it next.
- Support Local Legal Aid: In countries like Pakistan or Nigeria, many on death row are there because they couldn't afford a lawyer. Groups like Justice Project Pakistan do incredible work on the ground.
The map is changing. What was true in 2020 isn't true today, and by 2030, the list of countries using the death penalty will likely be even shorter—but the executions in those remaining spots might be even more frequent.