Executions in the U.S. reach their highest level in a decade: Here are some interesting facts

Executions in the United States have reached their highest point in a decade, and it's only July.

With the death of an inmate in Florida this week, the total number of executions in 2025 now stands at 26, significantly exceeding figures from recent years and nearing the recent record of 28, which was set in 2015.

This increase marks a significant shift in the national trend towards reducing the use of the death penalty, at a time when the debate over its legitimacy, effectiveness, and ethical nature is regaining prominence both in the courts and in national political discourse.

Florida, Texas, and South Carolina account for more than half

According to the latest report from the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), the increase in executions is not widespread across the country, but rather concentrated in a few states, with Florida, Texas, and South Carolina being the main contributors to this rise.

Florida, for example, has executed eight inmates so far in 2025, establishing itself as one of the most active states in the enforcement of the death penalty.

This resurgence is due to policies driven by state authorities who have adopted more aggressive stances on penal matters, disregarding the abolitionist trends observed in other parts of the country.

New execution methods: Nitrogen and shooting

The current landscape is characterized not only by the increase in cases but also by the return to or adoption of unusual methods of execution.

Of the 26 executions recorded this year, 21 have been by lethal injection, while another three have been carried out by nitrogen inhalation, a method introduced in Alabama in 2024, deemed by UN experts as a form of "torture."

In addition, two executions were carried out by firing squad, a method that had not been used in the country for 15 years.

In March, South Carolina executed 67-year-old Brad Sigmon by this method.

It was the first time in over a decade that an inmate was executed by firing squad in the United States, following a decision by the state Supreme Court that upheld this method due to the scarcity of drugs for lethal injection.

During the execution, the condemned was bound to a chair, wearing a hood, with a mark on his heart as the target for the firing squad.

The scene could be witnessed by observers from a room separated by bulletproof glass.

In addition to South Carolina, four other states—Idaho, Utah, Mississippi, and Oklahoma—legally allow firing squads, although their use has been extremely rare since 1977.

The death penalty in a divided country

Currently, the death penalty is abolished in 23 states, while three others -California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania- maintain a moratorium on its application.

However, 27 states retain the death penalty as part of their judicial system, although in 2024 only nine of them carried out executions.

This context highlights the deep national divide regarding the death penalty, both legally and socially.

Although polls indicate a steady decline in public support for the death penalty, certain political sectors seek to revitalize its use as a symbol of a tough approach to crime.

Trump promises to toughen criminal policy

In this polarized climate, President Donald Trump promised at the end of last year that he will promote a strong policy for enforcing the death penalty.

He announced that he will order the Department of Justice to seek the death penalty in cases of violent crimes, such as murders of citizens or law enforcement officers.

"The next government will protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters", Trump declared on his Truth Social account.

Additionally, he proposed applying the death penalty to immigrants who murder American citizens, statements that have sparked strong reactions from human rights and legal sectors.

His position contrasts with that of the current president Joe Biden, who upheld a federal moratorium on executions and commuted the sentences of nearly all death row inmates at the federal level.

He didn't do it in three cases: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Boston Marathon bombing), Robert Bowers (attack on a synagogue), and Dylann Roof (mass shooting at an African American church in Charleston).

The weight of history and the wounds of the past

Some of those executed in recent years have shared stories marked by institutional abandonment and trauma, such as the case of the man executed this week in Florida, who was part of a group of inmates that spent his childhood at the Florida School of Boys, also known as the Dozier School, an institution tragically famous for its mistreatment and systemic violence.

The center was closed in 2011 following revelations of widespread abuse and clandestine graves found on its grounds, events that inspired the novel The Nickel Boys, winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

There are still nine executions scheduled for the remainder of 2025, which could establish this year as the deadliest since the beginning of the past decade.

Meanwhile, human rights organizations, families of prisoners, victims, and legal experts continue to fuel the debate over a practice that, although legally in effect, faces increasing ethical and social scrutiny.

Frequently Asked Questions about Executions in the United States in 2025