The death penalty remains one of the most controversial tools in the U.S. justice system. In 2026, the Supreme Court still upheld the constitutionality of capital punishment, but the frequency of executions has slipped, new legal arguments about the death penalty’s deterrent effect keep emerging, and public support continues to waver.
Christa Pike’s story—surviving two execution attempts in Tennessee—has become the latest headline to ignite debate about whether the state should continue to retain this irreversible sanction. Pike’s case illustrates not only the technical difficulties surrounding lethal injection protocols but also the broader moral quandaries about life, death, and justice.
### How many executions are carried out each year?
In the early 1990s, the U.S. carried out over 600 executions annually. That number dropped to around 300 in the late 1990s, followed by a steady decline. In 2025, state officials reported a total of 64 executions across 29 states—a drop of more than 70% from the 1990s peak. The decline is partly due to prolonged legal appeals, the shortage of approved drugs for lethal injection, and shifting political priorities.
### Which states use the death penalty most often?
Only a handful of states account for more than half of the nation’s executions. Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma together account for roughly 70% of all executions in the last decade. Texas alone executed 21 defendants in 2025, Florida 18, and Oklahoma 12. Annapolis State—Washington, D.C.—has not executed anyone since 1965, while states like Illinois and California have abolished capital punishment entirely.
### Demographics of death‑row inmates
The composition of death‑row inmates remains disproportionately skewed. In 2025, African‑American defendants made up about 38% of those on death row, despite representing a minority of the overall population of convicted murderers. In contrast, white defendants comprised 23% of death‑row inmates. Economic status also plays a role: a large portion of individuals on death row had either minimal resources or represented very low‑income communities, influencing quality of legal defense and the likelihood of receiving the death penalty.
### Legal and political trends
Many states are instituting moratoria on executions pending legislative reviews. California, for instance, abolished the death penalty in 2022. Meanwhile, states like Louisiana and Mississippi are performing “death‑sentences on hiatus” until new protocols are established. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers notes an increase in appellate relief that allows many death‑row inmates to receive life without parole instead of execution.
### The future of the death penalty
With rising public scrutiny, increasing costs of maintaining death‑row programs, and growing concerns over wrongful convictions, the trend suggests a gradual retreat of capital punishment from the American legal landscape. Yet this shift is uneven, and public opinion polls indicate that a sizable portion of Americans still support the death penalty for the most serious crimes.
For more details, visit the full report on the United Nations’ Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, which highlights the trend in executions and demographic disparities across the United States.
