Escalating Executions: A Decade’s High Despite Decrease in Countries Using Death Penalty

With over 1,500 executions recorded worldwide in 2024, Amnesty International highlights a significant uptick in capital punishment, driven primarily by Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. This increase comes despite a historic low in the number of countries carrying out executions, raising urgent questions about human rights practices globally.

The number of state executions globally has seen a troubling surge, peaking at levels not observed in nearly a decade, according to a recent report by Amnesty International. The 2024 figures show that more than 1,500 executions were documented worldwide, with Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia responsible for a staggering 1,380 among them, while the United States accounted for 25 executions.

This reported rise contrasts sharply with the current record low of only 15 countries that carried out executions, marking the second consecutive year at this minimal figure. Amnesty's Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, commented on this turn of events, asserting that the world is on the verge of abolishing capital punishment entirely.

Although this year’s numbers are the highest since 2015, when at least 1,634 executions were recorded, Amnesty International cautions that the true figures could be significantly higher. The charity has not included data from China, which it posits could execute thousands annually, nor from North Korea and Vietnam where capital punishment statistics remain undisclosed due to state secrecy. These restrictive practices, compounded by ongoing crises in regions like Gaza and Syria, have further complicated the collection of data on the death penalty.

The report titled "Death Sentences and Executions 2024" identified the major offenders as primarily Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, with Iraq's execution rates soaring nearly fourfold from at least 16 in the previous year to a minimum of 63. Saudi Arabia similarly doubled its total executions from 172 in 2023 to at least 345. Iran also saw a resurgence, jumping from at least 853 executions last year to at least 972 in 2024.

Significantly, the report suggests that two key reasons behind the soaring use of capital punishment are governments leveraging the death penalty in response to protests and amid the war on drugs. Notably, over 40% of deaths executed in 2024 were linked to drug offenses, which Amnesty declared unlawful under international human rights laws.

In a contrasting legal development, Zimbabwe has recently enacted legislation abolishing the death penalty for non-lethal crimes, reflecting a shift toward more humane policies. Additionally, there have been notable cases since September 2024, with a death row inmate in Japan being acquitted and another in the United States receiving clemency.

Encouragingly, more than two-thirds of UN member states expressed their support for a moratorium on executions in a vote held last year, signaling a growing global movement against the practice.