The death penalty increasingly applied worldwide: three countries singled out for their practices

Steph Deschamps / April 13, 2025

Here are some startling figures released by Amnesty International: the number of executions worldwide has reached its highest level since 2015.

 

While this may seem a frightening statistic, there is a silver lining: the number of countries executing their citizens is at an all-time low. There are 15 of them, including the United States with 25 executions (the only country on the American continent), China with over 1,000, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen, North Korea and Vietnam.
 

The concern lies in the fact that the number of executions is at its highest level for almost 10 years: 1,518 executions in 2024. An increase of 32% on 2023... and approaching the terrible record of 2015: 1,634 executions.
 

Fewer countries in total, but more executions. Does this mean that some countries are practicing it more? In Iran, for example, the escalation is appalling: 975 executions last year, but this is also the case in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Between them, these three countries are responsible for 9 out of 10 executions.
 

The Amnesty report states that at least 8 people under the age of 18 have been executed worldwide. As for women, 6 countries have carried out executions, with a particular situation in Iran, where 30 women were hanged last year.

 

Finally, it should be noted that 42% of executions worldwide are linked to drug trafficking.