2025 saw a shocking spike in executions worldwide, prompting the UN to renew calls for a global end to capital punishment .
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that executions rose sharply in a handful of retentionist countries—often for drug offences, crimes committed by minors, or cases not considered “most serious”. UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk warned:
“The death penalty is not an effective crime-control tool and risks executing innocent people. It’s often applied arbitrarily and discriminatorily.”
Iran: ~1,500 executions, nearly half for drug offences
Saudi Arabia: 356 executions, 78% drug-related
US: 47 executions, highest in 16 years
Afghanistan, Somalia, Singapore, Israel: public and targeted executions reported
Encouragingly, some countries are moving away from capital punishment:
Vietnam reduced death-eligible crimes
Pakistan removed two non-lethal death penalties
Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes
Kenya launched a legislative review
Malaysia reduced those at risk of execution by over 1,000
Kyrgyzstan reaffirmed its constitutional ban
Globally, 170 countries have now abolished or paused the death penalty, showing that a world without executions is within reach.
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