{"id":6355,"date":"2025-04-10T20:37:18","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T13:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/?p=6355"},"modified":"2025-04-10T23:45:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T16:45:08","slug":"death-penalty-in-2024-facts-and-figures-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/news\/2025\/04\/death-penalty-in-2024-facts-and-figures-en\/","title":{"rendered":"Death penalty in 2024 &#8211; Facts and figures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull size-full\"><div style=\"position:relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" src=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover.jpg\" alt=\"Death penalty in 2024 - Facts and figures\" class=\"aiic-ignore wp-image-6357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-734x488.jpg 734w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-108x72.jpg 108w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-217x144.jpg 217w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-60x40.jpg 60w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-120x80.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-260x173.jpg 260w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-520x346.jpg 520w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-325x216.jpg 325w, https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/250409-DP-Cover-650x432.jpg 650w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Global Figure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Global executions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Amnesty International recorded <strong>1,518<\/strong> executions in 2024 in <strong>15<\/strong> countries, a 32% increase from the <strong>1,153<\/strong> known executions in 2023. It is the highest figure recorded by Amnesty International since 2015 when it recorded <strong>1,634<\/strong> executions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>China remained the world\u2019s leading executioner<\/strong>, 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The countries with the highest number of executions were <strong>China (1000s), Iran (972+), Saudi Arabia (345+), Iraq (63+), Yemen (38+) \u2013 <\/strong>in that order<strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Women were known to have been executed in <strong>six<\/strong> countries: <strong>China (+), Egypt (2), Iran (30), Iraq (1), Saudi Arabia (9)<\/strong>, and<strong> Yemen (2).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Amnesty International recorded executions in <strong>15<\/strong> countries, compared to <strong>16 <\/strong>countries in 2023. Due to conflict, no figure was available for Palestine (State of).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Violating international law<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>637<\/strong> executions were known to have been carried out unlawfully for drug-related offences: China (+), Iran (<strong>505<\/strong>, 52% of its total for the year), Saudi Arabia (<strong>122<\/strong>, 35%) and Singapore (<strong>8<\/strong>, 89%). Information on Viet Nam, which is very likely to have carried out such executions, was unavailable.&nbsp;The total number of <strong>637 <\/strong>executions for drug-related offences constituted <strong>42%<\/strong> of the total globally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At least <strong>eight<\/strong> <strong>public executions were recorded <\/strong>in Afghanistan (4+) and Iran (4).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At least <strong>eight<\/strong> people \u2013 in Iran (4) and Somalia (4) \u2013 were executed for crimes that occurred when they were <strong>below 18 years of age.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The methods of execution used in 2024 were: <strong>beheading; hanging, lethal injection, shooting<\/strong> and <strong>nitrogen gas asphyxiation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Global death sentences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At least <strong>2,087<\/strong> new death sentences across <strong>46 <\/strong>countries were known to have been imposed in 2024, compared to at least <strong>2,428<\/strong> in<strong> 52<\/strong> countries in 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Amnesty International recorded commutations or pardons of death sentences in <strong>18<\/strong> countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Three <\/strong>countries \u2013 South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda \u2013 were known to have imposed death sentences after a hiatus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Amnesty International recorded <strong>nine<\/strong> exonerations of prisoners under sentence of death in three countries: Japan (1), Malaysia (5) and USA (3).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Globally, at least <strong>28,085<\/strong> people were under sentence of death at the end of 2024<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Abolishing the death penalty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At the end of 2024, <strong>113<\/strong> countries were fully abolitionist and <strong>145<\/strong> in total had abolished the death penalty in law or practice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For the first time, <strong>more than two thirds<\/strong> of all UN member states voted in favour of a General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Regional Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Americas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For the 16th consecutive year, the USA was the only country in the region to execute people.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The total number of executions in the USA (<strong>25<\/strong>) represented the second highest yearly figure since 2015 (<strong>28<\/strong>), rising from <strong>24<\/strong> in 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Four<\/strong> US states resumed executions (Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Utah). Alabama tripled its yearly total from <strong>two<\/strong> in 2023 to <strong>six<\/strong> in 2024.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Trinidad and Tobago and the USA were the only <strong>two<\/strong> countries in the Americas known to have imposed new death sentences.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Asia-Pacific<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Asia-Pacific continued to be the region with the highest number of executions in the world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In Asia-Pacific, <strong>five<\/strong> countries (<strong>Afghanistan, China, North Korea, Singapore <\/strong>and <strong>Viet Nam<\/strong>) were known to have carried out executions in 2024, a decrease from <strong>six<\/strong> in 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No executions were recorded in <strong>Bangladesh<\/strong>, for the first time since 2018.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At least <strong>843<\/strong> new death sentences were known to have been imposed in the region during the year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Federal Court and Court of Appeal of Malaysia commuted more than <strong>1,000<\/strong> death sentences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Europe and Central Asia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Russia and Tajikistan continued to observe moratoriums on executions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Middle East and North Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The number of recorded executions in the region grew by an alarming 34%, from <strong>1,073<\/strong> in 2023 to 1,442 in 2024. This means <strong>369 more <\/strong>people were known to have been executed in the region in 2024 compared with 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In total,<strong> eight<\/strong> countries across the region were known to have carried out executions in 2024: Egypt Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia were the top <strong>three<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recorded executions in Yemen more than <strong>doubled<\/strong> compared to 2023; and almost <strong>quadrupled<\/strong> in Iraq compared to 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Oman carried out its first known executions since 2021.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Courts across the Middle East and North Africa were known to have imposed at least <strong>773 <\/strong>new death sentences in 2024, a decrease of 19% from 2023 (950).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sub-Saharan Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recorded executions and death sentences each decreased by around <strong>10%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For the second consecutive year, Somalia was the only country in the region known to have carried out executions \u2013 with at least <strong>34<\/strong> recorded executions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For the second consecutive year, death sentences were recorded in <strong>14<\/strong> countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Zimbabwe and Zambia took positive steps towards abolishing and enshrining its commitment to abolition of the death penalty under international law, respectively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria took steps that could expand the use of the death penalty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reading More<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"Recorded executions hit their highest figure since 2015\"><mark style=\"background-color:#fff\" class=\"has-inline-color has-secondary-color\">Global: Recorded executions hit their highest figure since 2015<\/mark><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Download<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ENG_Death-Sentences-and-Executions-Report-2024.pdf\"><mark style=\"background-color:#fff\" class=\"has-inline-color has-secondary-color\">Death Sentences and Executions 2024<\/mark><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Global Figure Global executions Violating international law Global death sentences Abolishing the death penalty Regional Analysis Americas Asia-Pacific Europe and Central Asia The Middle East and North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Reading More Global: Recorded executions hit their highest figure since 2015 Download Death Sentences and Executions 2024<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6357,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":0,"_hero_title":"","_hero_content":"","_hero_cta_text":"","_hero_cta_link":"","_hero_alignment":"","_hero_background":"","_hero_size":"","_hero_show":"","_hero_type":"","_hero_embed":"","_hero_video_id":0,"_hero_hide_image_caption":true,"_hero_hide_image_copyright":false,"_nav_style":"","_disable_share_icons":false,"_disable_sidebar":false,"_display_author_info":false,"_hide_featured_image":false,"_hide_featured_image_caption":true,"_maximize_post_content":false,"_reduce_content_width":false,"_sidebar_id":0,"_stretch_thumbnail":false,"byline_context":"","byline_entity":"","byline_is_author":false,"disable_related_content":false,"download_id":0,"download_text":"","show_published_date":true,"show_updated_date":true,"term_slider":"","amnesty_index_number":"","recipients":"","recipients_refresh":"","recipients_refreshed":"","amnesty_umbraco_data":"","document_ref":"","amnesty_updated":"","footnotes":""},"category":[1585],"location":[],"resourceType":[],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-6355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"datePosted":"April 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