Global Figure
Global executions
- Amnesty International recorded 1,518 executions in 2024 in 15 countries, a 32% increase from the 1,153 known executions in 2023. It is the highest figure recorded by Amnesty International since 2015 when it recorded 1,634 executions.
- China remained the world’s leading executioner, but the true extent of its use of the death penalty remains unknown as this data remains classified as a state secret. The global figure recorded by Amnesty International excludes the thousands of executions believed to have been carried out in China, as well as those carried out in Viet Nam and North Korea where Amnesty International believes the death penalty was used extensively.
- The countries with the highest number of executions were China (1000s), Iran (972+), Saudi Arabia (345+), Iraq (63+), Yemen (38+) – in that order.
- Women were known to have been executed in six countries: China (+), Egypt (2), Iran (30), Iraq (1), Saudi Arabia (9), and Yemen (2).
- Amnesty International recorded executions in 15 countries, compared to 16 countries in 2023. Due to conflict, no figure was available for Palestine (State of).
Violating international law
- 637 executions were known to have been carried out unlawfully for drug-related offences: China (+), Iran (505, 52% of its total for the year), Saudi Arabia (122, 35%) and Singapore (8, 89%). Information on Viet Nam, which is very likely to have carried out such executions, was unavailable. The total number of 637 executions for drug-related offences constituted 42% of the total globally.
- At least eight public executions were recorded in Afghanistan (4+) and Iran (4).
- At least eight people – in Iran (4) and Somalia (4) – were executed for crimes that occurred when they were below 18 years of age.
- The methods of execution used in 2024 were: beheading; hanging, lethal injection, shooting and nitrogen gas asphyxiation.
Global death sentences
- At least 2,087 new death sentences across 46 countries were known to have been imposed in 2024, compared to at least 2,428 in 52 countries in 2023.
- Amnesty International recorded commutations or pardons of death sentences in 18 countries.
- Three countries – South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda – were known to have imposed death sentences after a hiatus.
- Amnesty International recorded nine exonerations of prisoners under sentence of death in three countries: Japan (1), Malaysia (5) and USA (3).
- Globally, at least 28,085 people were under sentence of death at the end of 2024
Abolishing the death penalty
- At the end of 2024, 113 countries were fully abolitionist and 145 in total had abolished the death penalty in law or practice.
- For the first time, more than two thirds of all UN member states voted in favour of a General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
Regional Analysis
Americas
- For the 16th consecutive year, the USA was the only country in the region to execute people.
- The total number of executions in the USA (25) represented the second highest yearly figure since 2015 (28), rising from 24 in 2023.
- Four US states resumed executions (Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Utah). Alabama tripled its yearly total from two in 2023 to six in 2024.
- Trinidad and Tobago and the USA were the only two countries in the Americas known to have imposed new death sentences.
Asia-Pacific
- Asia-Pacific continued to be the region with the highest number of executions in the world.
- In Asia-Pacific, five countries (Afghanistan, China, North Korea, Singapore and Viet Nam) were known to have carried out executions in 2024, a decrease from six in 2023.
- No executions were recorded in Bangladesh, for the first time since 2018.
- At least 843 new death sentences were known to have been imposed in the region during the year.
- The Federal Court and Court of Appeal of Malaysia commuted more than 1,000 death sentences.
Europe and Central Asia
- Belarus remained the only country in Europe to use the death penalty, sentencing 1 person to death on 24 June 2024. He was later pardoned on 30 July.
- Russia and Tajikistan continued to observe moratoriums on executions.
The Middle East and North Africa
- The number of recorded executions in the region grew by an alarming 34%, from 1,073 in 2023 to 1,442 in 2024. This means 369 more people were known to have been executed in the region in 2024 compared with 2023.
- In total, eight countries across the region were known to have carried out executions in 2024: Egypt Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen.
- Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia were the top three executing countries in the region in 2024. These three countries alone accounted for 96% of all recorded executions in the region, with Iran accounting for 67% of them.
- Recorded executions in Yemen more than doubled compared to 2023; and almost quadrupled in Iraq compared to 2023.
- Oman carried out its first known executions since 2021.
- Courts across the Middle East and North Africa were known to have imposed at least 773 new death sentences in 2024, a decrease of 19% from 2023 (950).
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Recorded executions and death sentences each decreased by around 10%.
- For the second consecutive year, Somalia was the only country in the region known to have carried out executions – with at least 34 recorded executions
- For the second consecutive year, death sentences were recorded in 14 countries.
- Zimbabwe and Zambia took positive steps towards abolishing and enshrining its commitment to abolition of the death penalty under international law, respectively.
- Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria took steps that could expand the use of the death penalty.
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Global: Recorded executions hit their highest figure since 2015
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