If you were looking at a map of the world in the 1970s, it’d be splashed with red. Back then, almost every nation on the planet used the death penalty as a standard part of the legal system. It was just how things were done. Fast forward to 2026, and the picture looks wildly different. Honestly, it's kinda shocking how fast the tide turned. Today, more than two-thirds of the world’s countries have tossed the gallows into the history books.
But that doesn't mean it's gone. Far from it.
When people ask which country has capital punishment, they’re often looking for a simple list. But the reality is a messy mix of "retentionist" states that still execute people, "abolitionist in practice" nations that haven't killed anyone in decades, and a few giants that carry out thousands of executions in total secrecy.
The "Big Five" and the 2026 Reality
Basically, a very small group of countries is responsible for the vast majority of executions globally. While most of the world is moving toward total abolition—Zimbabwe being the most recent major addition to that list in late 2024—a few places are actually doubling down.
China: The Black Box
China is widely believed to be the world’s top executioner. The catch? The numbers are a state secret. Human rights groups like Amnesty International can’t even give a precise number because the government keeps it under such a tight lid. We’re talking thousands of people every year, likely more than the rest of the world combined. They use both lethal injection and shooting, often for crimes that aren't even violent, like large-scale drug trafficking.
Iran: A Sharp Spike
In 2025, Iran hit a thirty-year high. We're talking over 1,000 executions in a single year. It’s a staggering number. A lot of this was a reaction to internal protests like the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, where the state used the death penalty as a tool to maintain control. Most of these executions happen in prisons, but they still do public hangings from cranes occasionally. It’s grim stuff.
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Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom is another major player. In 2024, they reached a record 345 executions. They’ve been criticized heavily for mass executions—sometimes killing dozens of people in a single day for "terrorism-related" offenses. Beheading is still the primary method here.
The United States: The Western Outlier
You’ve probably noticed the U.S. is the only G7 country (besides Japan) that still does this. But even in the U.S., it’s not a national thing. It’s a state-by-state patchwork.
- Active States: Places like Florida, Texas, and Alabama are still very active. In 2025, Florida actually drove a national spike in executions, accounting for nearly 40% of the country’s total.
- The Moratorium States: California has hundreds of people on death row, but they haven't executed anyone since 2006 because the governor issued a moratorium.
- The Nitrogen Experiment: Alabama recently made headlines by using nitrogen gas, a method that sparked a massive international debate about what "humane" even means in this context.
The Full List of Retentionist Countries
As we move through 2026, roughly 55 countries still have capital punishment on the books. However, only about 15 to 20 of them actually carry out executions with any regularity.
Here is the breakdown of nations where the death penalty is still technically legal and occasionally used:
The Middle East and North Africa
This region is currently the "active" center of capital punishment. Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, and Kuwait have all seen increases in executions recently. Yemen, in particular, saw its numbers more than double between 2023 and 2025 due to the ongoing instability and conflict.
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Asia-Pacific
Beyond China, you have North Korea and Vietnam, which—like China—treat their execution data as top-secret information. Then there’s Singapore, which is famous (or infamous) for its "zero tolerance" drug laws. They still hang people for carrying relatively small amounts of heroin or cannabis. Japan also keeps the death penalty, though executions are rare, often involving only one or two people per year.
Sub-Saharan Africa
This is where the most change is happening. Somalia is currently the only country in the region consistently carrying out executions. Most other African nations, like Zambia and Ghana, have moved to abolish it or have a "de facto" moratorium where the law exists, but no one is actually sent to the gallows.
The Americas
The U.S. stands almost entirely alone here. While a few Caribbean nations like Trinidad and Tobago still have the death penalty on their books, they haven't actually executed anyone in years.
The Crimes That Lead to the Gallows
You might think the death penalty is only for murder. That’s a common misconception. In many places, "most serious crimes" is a very broad category.
In Iran and Singapore, more than half of all executions are for drug offenses. In Saudi Arabia and Iraq, "terrorism" is the most common charge, which can sometimes be interpreted broadly to include political dissent. Then you have Belarus—the only country in Europe that still uses the death penalty—where "treason" can get you the firing squad.
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Why Some Countries Won’t Let Go
So, why does any country have capital punishment in 2026? It usually boils down to three arguments:
- Deterrence: The idea that the fear of death stops people from committing crimes. (Though most criminologists argue there's zero evidence this actually works).
- Retribution: The "eye for an eye" philosophy. This is a big driver in U.S. politics and some Middle Eastern legal systems.
- Political Control: In authoritarian regimes, the death penalty is the ultimate way to silence opposition.
What Most People Get Wrong
One thing that always trips people up is the difference between "abolitionist" and "moratorium."
Take Russia, for example. Russia hasn't executed anyone since 1996. It’s technically "retentionist" because the law is still there, but they have a moratorium. In 2024, after the Crocus City Hall attack, there was a huge push in the Russian Duma to bring it back, but so far, they haven't. This "on-the-fence" status is where about 25 countries currently sit.
What You Can Do Next
If you're looking to dive deeper into which country has capital punishment and how these laws are changing, there are a few practical steps to stay informed:
- Check the Amnesty International Annual Report: They release a massive, data-heavy breakdown every April. It is the gold standard for verified execution numbers.
- Follow the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC): If you're specifically interested in the U.S., this is the best source for state-by-state updates and legal challenges.
- Watch the 2026 World Congress: The World Congress Against the Death Penalty is happening in Paris in June 2026. This event usually marks significant new announcements from countries looking to abolish the practice.
The global landscape is shifting. Even in "retentionist" strongholds, the number of death sentences is actually dropping. Juries are becoming more hesitant, and the cost of the legal appeals process is making life without parole a more "practical" choice for many governments. Whether for moral, financial, or political reasons, the list of countries using the death penalty is getting shorter every year.