US Executes 47 Men in 2025, Highest Total in 16 Years Amid Policy Shifts
In 2025, US states executed 47 men, marking the highest total in 16 years and nearly double the number from 2024.
Florida led the country with 19 executions, a significant rise from just one in 2024, under the guidance of Governor Ron DeSantis, surpassing Texas as the state with the most executions.
Together with Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, these four states accounted for approximately three-quarters of all executions in 2025.
The number of states employing death chambers increased to 12, up from 9 in the previous year.
Louisiana resumed executions after a 15-year break and became the second state after Alabama to use nitrogen gas for execution; notably, Jessie Hoffman Jr.'s nitrogen execution in March reportedly involved visible shaking.
South Carolina carried out five executions, including the first firing squad executions since 2010, with three of the five using this method; a postmortem on inmate Mikal Mahdi indicated that shooters missed his heart, raising concern over potential suffering.
The US Supreme Court, characterized by a hard-right majority, denied every stay request in 2025, thereby reducing judicial protections for death-row inmates.
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled "Restoring the death penalty," which signaled renewed federal and state capital prosecutions; the Department of Justice authorized more than 20 new capital prosecutions throughout the year.
Public support for the death penalty declined, with only 52% favoring it for murder convictions in 2025, the lowest in 50 years; notably, many Americans under 55 opposed it.
The Death Penalty Information Center highlighted a growing disconnect between public sentiment and the actions of elected officials regarding capital punishment.
