Global Executions Surge to Highest Levels in a Decade

The latest Amnesty International report highlights a shocking rise in global executions, marking the highest rate since 2015. Despite only 15 countries implementing the death penalty—a record low—over 1,500 executions were documented in 2024, driven chiefly by Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, which collectively accounted for 1,380. The report emphasizes that this figure may be underreported, particularly as major executioners like China keep their data secret. The rise in executions has been attributed to the penal response against protests and drug-related crimes, with over 40% of executions linked to drug offenses deemed unlawful under human rights law. Nonetheless, recent legislative changes, such as Zimbabwe’s abolition of the death penalty for ordinary crimes, offer rays of hope amid the dismal picture.

The number of countries enforcing the death penalty has fallen to an all-time low of 15, according to a recent Amnesty International report. This grim reality comes alongside a dramatic rise in executions globally, soaring to over 1,500 in 2024—the highest count in ten years. Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia are primarily responsible for this increase, accounting for a staggering 1,380 executions. Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, noted the shifting landscape on capital punishment, declaring that “it is only a matter of time until the world is free from the shadow of the gallows.”

An alarming aspect of the report highlights the potential underestimation of actual execution figures, particularly as countries like China, which likely carries out thousands of executions each year, do not release data. Likewise, North Korea and Vietnam also keep their execution statistics classified.

Amnesty’s "Death Sentences and Executions 2024" report reveals that while overall global executions have risen, only 15 nations have carried out the death penalty, showing a greater trend towards abolition. Iraq's execution numbers surged nearly fourfold from 2023 to 2024, while Saudi Arabia saw its figures double. Iran's execution numbers also rose from at least 853 in 2023 to 972 in 2024.

The rise in capital punishment is attributed mainly to governments leveraging the death penalty against protesters and for drug offenses, with drug-related executions representing over 40% of the total—a practice Amnesty argues violates human rights norms.

On a hopeful note, Zimbabwe’s recent legislation abolishing the death penalty for ordinary crimes and clemency granted to a death row inmate in Japan signify gradual progress. Added to this shift, more than two-thirds of UN member states voted in favor of a moratorium on the death penalty last year, suggesting a growing global consensus against the practice.