WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE THE DEATH PENALTY

The death penalty is one of the most controversial topics around the world and is regularly discussed in various international venues. Each year more and more countries reject this form of punishment for criminals. Nevertheless, as of 2025, 53 states still impose death sentences by various methods, including beheading, electrocution, hanging, lethal injection and execution.

According to official data from Amnesty International, an international nongovernmental organization, there were 1,153 executions in 16 countries worldwide in 2023, a 31% increase from the previous year (883 executions in 2022). The year 2020 had the lowest number of executions recorded by Amnesty International in the last decade. Executions were most frequent in China, as well as in Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, USA, Syria, and Somalia.

In 2025, of the 196 independent states that are members of the UN or have UN observer status, 111 countries completely abolished the death penalty in law for all types of crimes. In addition, seven states have introduced a ban for ordinary crimes (while retaining the death penalty for special circumstances such as war crimes) and 24 countries do not use the death penalty in practice. However, 53 countries (listed below) still impose the death penalty on criminals.

Next, we will find out which countries legally allow the death penalty.

Note. The Republic of Belarus is the only European country that has not abolished the death penalty.

During 2023, 2,428 death sentences were handed down, an increase of 20% over 2022 (2016). In total, at least 27,687 people were sentenced to death at the end of the year. Countries such as Bangladesh (248), Egypt (590) and Iraq (138) saw a sharp increase in sentences in 2023.

Countries that are the latest to abolish the death penalty are Central African Republic (2022), Equatorial Guinea (2022), Papua New Guinea (2022), Central African Republic (2022), Sierra Leone (2021), Kazakhstan (2021), Chad (2020) and Zambia.

In 2023, more than 90% of all executions on the planet (excluding China) were carried out in the Middle East and North Africa. However, the largest increase in executions (48%) was recorded in Iran, which accounted for 74% of executions globally.

RELATED ARTICLES:

• Reasons for immigration
• The world's most popular languages
• Richest cities in the world
• The world's most expensive currencies
• The best cities to live in the world