This report covers the judicial use of the death penalty for the period January to December 2025. As in previous years, information is collected from a variety of sources, official figures; judgments; information from individuals sentenced to death; their families and representatives; media reports; and, as specified, other civil society organisations.
Amnesty International reports on executions, death sentences and other aspects of the use of the death penalty, such as commutations and exonerations, where there is reasonable confirmation. In many countries, governments do not publish information on their use of the death penalty. In China and Viet Nam, data on the use of the death penalty is classified as a state secret. During 2025, little or no information was available on some countries – in particular Belarus, Laos and North Korea – due to restrictive state practices. Therefore, for a significant number of countries, Amnesty International’s figures on the use of the death penalty are the minimum recorded. The true overall figures are likely to be higher.
In 2009, Amnesty International stopped publishing its estimated figures on the use of the death penalty in China, a decision that reflected concerns about how the Chinese authorities misrepresented Amnesty International’s numbers. Amnesty International always made clear that the figures it was able to publish on China were significantly lower than the reality, because of the restrictions on access to information. China has yet to publish any figures on the death penalty; however, the available information indicates that each year, thousands of people are executed and sentenced to death. Amnesty International renews its call on the Chinese authorities to publish information on the use of the death penalty in China.
Where Amnesty International receives and is able to verify new information after publication of this report, it updates its figures online at: amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/
In tables and lists, where “+” appears after a figure next to the name of a country – for example, Tunisia (18+) – it means that Amnesty International confirmed either 18 executions or death sentences or persons under sentence of death in Tunisia but believes that there were more than 18. Where “+” appears after a country name without a figure – for instance, Iraq (+) – it means that Amnesty International has corroborated executions, death sentences or persons under sentence of death (more than one) in that country but had insufficient information to provide a credible minimum figure. When calculating global and regional totals,“+” has been counted as two, including for China.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. The organization campaigns for total abolition of the death penalty.
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