GITNUXREPORT 2026

Capital Punishment Statistics

Capital punishment has declined sharply in the United States after peaking decades ago.

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

The average cost of a death penalty trial in the US is $1-3 million per case, vs. $740,000 for life without parole

Statistic 2

California spends $137 million annually on death penalty system, could save $170 million/year by abolition

Statistic 3

In Maryland, death penalty cost $186 million extra over 30 years for 5 executions

Statistic 4

Texas death penalty costs $2.3 million per case vs. $750,000 for life

Statistic 5

Federal death penalty appeals cost taxpayers $1.2 million per inmate annually

Statistic 6

Florida legislature estimated $24 million extra/year for death row housing

Statistic 7

Kansas study: death cases cost 70% more than life cases ($1.26M vs $740K)

Statistic 8

Nevada spent $532,000 more per death trial than life, totaling millions extra

Statistic 9

Death row housing costs $90,000/inmate/year vs. $45,000 general population

Statistic 10

Philadelphia County: death trials cost $3M each vs. $500K non-death

Statistic 11

US total death penalty cost since 1976 exceeds $50 billion

Statistic 12

Oklahoma: $110 million spent on death penalty 1977-2017 for 43 executions

Statistic 13

In appeals, death cases take 20 years longer, costing $1M+ extra per case

Statistic 14

North Carolina: $2.16M per death case vs. $750K life

Statistic 15

Automatic appeals in death cases cost states 4x more judicial resources

Statistic 16

Tennessee: death penalty costs $48M/year extra

Statistic 17

Expert witnesses in death trials cost $20K-$100K per case

Statistic 18

Indiana: $450K extra per death sentence over life

Statistic 19

Post-conviction DNA testing for death row costs $50K-$100K per test

Statistic 20

Arizona: $1.5M per execution including appeals

Statistic 21

Security for death trials adds $1M+ per case in some jurisdictions

Statistic 22

Utah: death cases cost 4x more than life ($2M vs $500K)

Statistic 23

Clemency reviews cost $500K+ per federal case

Statistic 24

Washington state: $100M+ extra for death penalty 1981-2014

Statistic 25

Jury selection in death cases takes 3x longer, costing $50K extra

Statistic 26

Georgia: $1M per death case vs. $450K life

Statistic 27

New Jersey abolished after $1B spent for 0 executions

Statistic 28

Prosecutor training for death cases: $10K per training session

Statistic 29

Black Americans comprised 34% of US executions from 1976-2023 despite being 13% of population

Statistic 30

In US federal death penalty cases from 1988-2020, 53% of defendants were Black

Statistic 31

States with highest Black execution rates post-1976: Texas (37%), Oklahoma (42%)

Statistic 32

White victims accounted for 75% of cases where Black defendants were executed 1976-2023

Statistic 33

From 1976-2023, 296 Black defendants executed for killing white victims vs. 31 white for Black

Statistic 34

In Florida, 44% of death row inmates are Black, who are 16% of population

Statistic 35

Latino defendants make up 11% of US executions 1976-2023

Statistic 36

Poor defendants are 4 times more likely to receive death sentences, per 2020 study

Statistic 37

Mentally ill inmates comprise 10-20% of US death row, with higher execution rates

Statistic 38

In Texas, 41% of executed inmates had intellectual disabilities indicators

Statistic 39

Women represent 2% of US death row but 51% of homicide offenders overall

Statistic 40

Native Americans are 1% of population but 2% of federal death row

Statistic 41

In Georgia, Black defendants 4.3 times more likely to get death if white victim

Statistic 42

84% of US counties have never conducted an execution despite death penalty availability

Statistic 43

Youth offenders (under 18) numbered 22 executions pre-2005 ban, all male and mostly minority

Statistic 44

In California, Latinos are 43% of death row vs. 39% population

Statistic 45

Low IQ defendants (<70) executed: at least 16 since 1976

Statistic 46

Military veterans comprise 10% of death row, higher PTSD rates

Statistic 47

In Pennsylvania, 60% of death row is Black or Latino

Statistic 48

Gay defendants face 5 times higher death sentencing risk

Statistic 49

Rural counties execute at higher rates per capita than urban

Statistic 50

In Ohio, 53% executed were Black

Statistic 51

Drug addiction history in 65% of executed inmates

Statistic 52

Elderly (over 60 at crime) defendants rare on death row, <1%

Statistic 53

In Nevada, all 12 executions post-1976 involved white victims

Statistic 54

Childhood trauma reported in 90% of Oklahoma death row inmates

Statistic 55

Death sentences 3x higher for interracial murders involving white victims

Statistic 56

Inmate education: 40% no high school diploma among executed

Statistic 57

Transgender inmates overrepresented on death row at 0.5% vs. 0.6% population

Statistic 58

Average death row inmate age at execution: 44 years

Statistic 59

In the United States, there were 2,474 executions carried out between 1976 and 2023, with lethal injection being the primary method used in 1,428 cases

Statistic 60

From 1976 to 2020, Texas executed 521 individuals, accounting for 45% of all US executions during that period

Statistic 61

The peak year for US executions post-Furman was 1999, with 98 executions performed across 7 states

Statistic 62

Between 1608 and 1976, an estimated 15,269 executions occurred in the US, mostly by hanging until the mid-20th century

Statistic 63

In 2023, the US saw only 24 executions, the lowest annual total since 1996, distributed across 5 states

Statistic 64

Florida executed 107 people from 1976-2023, with 99 via lethal injection and 8 by electrocution

Statistic 65

Oklahoma had 123 executions from 1976-2023, including 3 by nitrogen hypoxia in 2024 trials

Statistic 66

From 1976-2023, 1,610 death sentences were carried out by lethal injection in the US

Statistic 67

Missouri executed 94 inmates from 1976-2023, primarily using lethal injection after switching from gas chamber

Statistic 68

In the 1930s, the US averaged over 150 executions per year, dropping to under 50 by the 1960s

Statistic 69

Georgia executed 74 people from 1976-2023, with the first post-Furman execution of Troy Gregg in 1983

Statistic 70

Alabama conducted 69 executions from 1976-2023, including nitrogen executions starting in 2022

Statistic 71

Between 1976 and 2000, executions rose from 0 to 85 annually, peaking then declining sharply after 2000

Statistic 72

South Carolina executed 44 from 1976-2023, recently authorizing firing squad as an option

Statistic 73

From 1890-1976, electrocution was used in 4,313 US executions

Statistic 74

In 1968, the US had zero executions, marking the moratorium until Gregg v. Georgia in 1976

Statistic 75

Virginia executed 113 from 1976-2023 before abolishing the death penalty in 2021

Statistic 76

From 1976-2023, 576 death row inmates died of natural causes or suicide before execution

Statistic 77

Arizona executed 54 from 1976-2023, with recent issues in lethal injection protocols

Statistic 78

In the 1920s, US lynchings sometimes overlapped with legal executions, totaling around 400 extrajudicial killings

Statistic 79

North Carolina executed 60 from 1976-2023, abolishing in 2009 via moratorium

Statistic 80

From 1976-1990, only 128 executions occurred in the US, accelerating post-1990

Statistic 81

Ohio executed 56 from 1976-2023, with one nitrogen execution in 2024

Statistic 82

Historical data shows 3,859 executions in the US from 1976 onward projected if trends continue

Statistic 83

Louisiana executed 31 from 1976-2023, highest per capita rate in the South

Statistic 84

In 1935, the US executed 199 people, the highest single-year total in modern history

Statistic 85

Arkansas executed 34 from 1976-2023, including a batch of 8 in 2017

Statistic 86

From 1976-2023, 99 women were sentenced to death in the US, with 5 executed

Statistic 87

Indiana executed 23 from 1976-2023

Statistic 88

Kentucky executed 4 from 1976-2023, with a long moratorium

Statistic 89

In 2022, China executed approximately 1,000 people, estimated due to state secrecy

Statistic 90

Iran carried out at least 853 executions in 2023, highest per capita globally

Statistic 91

Saudi Arabia executed 196 people in 2022, mostly for drug offenses

Statistic 92

Globally, 112 countries are abolitionist in law or practice as of 2023

Statistic 93

Vietnam executes ~85 people annually, mostly by lethal injection

Statistic 94

In 2023, 1,153 known executions worldwide excluding China, up 30% from 2022

Statistic 95

Belarus executed 4 in 2023, one of few in Europe

Statistic 96

Egypt executed 83 in 2023, doubling from prior year

Statistic 97

North Korea estimated 100+ executions yearly, methods include firing squad

Statistic 98

Singapore executed 11 in 2023, all for drugs

Statistic 99

Iraq executed 94 in 2023 for terrorism

Statistic 100

Japan executed 6 in 2023, hanging method

Statistic 101

Pakistan moratorium lifted, 17 executions in 2023

Statistic 102

India executed 4 in 2023, rare post-2004

Statistic 103

Syria estimated 200+ extrajudicial executions yearly

Statistic 104

Yemen executed dozens amid civil war

Statistic 105

Afghanistan under Taliban: public executions resumed, at least 2 in 2023

Statistic 106

Somalia executed 38 in 2022 for Al-Shabaab links

Statistic 107

Botswana executed 1 in 2023, first since 2018

Statistic 108

Bangladesh executed 8 in 2023

Statistic 109

Sudan executed 13 amid conflict

Statistic 110

Myanmar executed 4 in 2022, first in decades

Statistic 111

Thailand has moratorium since 2009, 0 executions

Statistic 112

Mongolia abolished in 2015 after last execution in 2008

Statistic 113

Burkina Faso executed 7 in 2022, rare

Statistic 114

Mali executed 11 soldiers in 2022

Statistic 115

Globally, 54% of countries retain death penalty but 78% did not execute in 2023

Statistic 116

Sub-Saharan Africa: 17 executions in 2023 across 5 countries

Statistic 117

Middle East/North Africa: 70% of global known executions excluding China

Statistic 118

Asia-Pacific: 90% of known executions excluding China from Iran/Saudi

Statistic 119

Europe: only Belarus executes, 1-4 per year

Statistic 120

Americas: US 24 in 2023, others abolished

Statistic 121

65% of UN member states voted for moratorium in 2022

Statistic 122

Public support for death penalty in US fell to 53% in 2023, lowest in 50 years

Statistic 123

In 2021 Gallup poll, 54% of Americans supported death penalty for murder, down from 80% in 1994

Statistic 124

62% of Democrats oppose death penalty vs. 77% Republicans support, 2023 Pew

Statistic 125

When informed of costs, support drops 15-20% per studies

Statistic 126

79% of Americans support life without parole as alternative, Gallup 2023

Statistic 127

Black Americans support at 52%, Hispanics 50%, whites 60%, 2021 Gallup

Statistic 128

In California, 57% voted to repeal death penalty in 2016 Prop 62, lost narrowly

Statistic 129

Nebraska voters rejected repeal 61%-39% in 2016 despite cost arguments

Statistic 130

88% support death penalty for child murder, but 69% for general murder, Quinnipiac 2023

Statistic 131

Support rises to 75% if DNA evidence guarantees no innocence risk

Statistic 132

Internationally, 60% in Europe oppose, per Amnesty polls

Statistic 133

In UK, 52% support reinstatement per 2023 YouGov

Statistic 134

71% of Republicans under 30 oppose death penalty, rising trend

Statistic 135

Catholic Church opposition: 60% US Catholics oppose since 2018 shift

Statistic 136

In Texas, support dropped to 70% in 2023 from 80% decade prior

Statistic 137

65% believe innocents executed risk outweighs benefits, Gallup

Statistic 138

Women support death penalty less than men: 49% vs 59%, 2023

Statistic 139

College grads support 44%, non-grads 58%, education divide

Statistic 140

In 2016, Oklahoma voters upheld 66%-34%

Statistic 141

55% of independents oppose, per recent Quinnipiac

Statistic 142

Support for terrorism cases: 80%, but general crime 50%

Statistic 143

In Michigan (abolished), 52% still support if available

Statistic 144

Evangelical Protestants: 75% support, mainline 48%

Statistic 145

Urban residents oppose 60%, rural support 65%

Statistic 146

Post-exoneration awareness: support drops 10%, per experiments

Statistic 147

In 2023, 49% of under-30s support vs 65% over-65, generational shift

Statistic 148

Colorado voters abolished 53%-47% in 2020 referendum

1/148

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While lethal injection has claimed over 1,600 lives in the United States since 1976, this stark figure only scratches the surface of capital punishment's profound and complex legacy.

Key Takeaways

In the United States, there were 2,474 executions carried out between 1976 and 2023, with lethal injection being the primary method used in 1,428 cases
From 1976 to 2020, Texas executed 521 individuals, accounting for 45% of all US executions during that period
The peak year for US executions post-Furman was 1999, with 98 executions performed across 7 states
Black Americans comprised 34% of US executions from 1976-2023 despite being 13% of population
In US federal death penalty cases from 1988-2020, 53% of defendants were Black
States with highest Black execution rates post-1976: Texas (37%), Oklahoma (42%)
The average cost of a death penalty trial in the US is $1-3 million per case, vs. $740,000 for life without parole
California spends $137 million annually on death penalty system, could save $170 million/year by abolition
In Maryland, death penalty cost $186 million extra over 30 years for 5 executions
In 2022, China executed approximately 1,000 people, estimated due to state secrecy
Iran carried out at least 853 executions in 2023, highest per capita globally
Saudi Arabia executed 196 people in 2022, mostly for drug offenses
Public support for death penalty in US fell to 53% in 2023, lowest in 50 years
In 2021 Gallup poll, 54% of Americans supported death penalty for murder, down from 80% in 1994
62% of Democrats oppose death penalty vs. 77% Republicans support, 2023 Pew

Capital punishment has declined sharply in the United States after peaking decades ago.

Cost Analysis

The average cost of a death penalty trial in the US is $1-3 million per case, vs. $740,000 for life without parole
California spends $137 million annually on death penalty system, could save $170 million/year by abolition
In Maryland, death penalty cost $186 million extra over 30 years for 5 executions
Texas death penalty costs $2.3 million per case vs. $750,000 for life
Federal death penalty appeals cost taxpayers $1.2 million per inmate annually
Florida legislature estimated $24 million extra/year for death row housing
Kansas study: death cases cost 70% more than life cases ($1.26M vs $740K)
Nevada spent $532,000 more per death trial than life, totaling millions extra
Death row housing costs $90,000/inmate/year vs. $45,000 general population
Philadelphia County: death trials cost $3M each vs. $500K non-death
US total death penalty cost since 1976 exceeds $50 billion
Oklahoma: $110 million spent on death penalty 1977-2017 for 43 executions
In appeals, death cases take 20 years longer, costing $1M+ extra per case
North Carolina: $2.16M per death case vs. $750K life
Automatic appeals in death cases cost states 4x more judicial resources
Tennessee: death penalty costs $48M/year extra
Expert witnesses in death trials cost $20K-$100K per case
Indiana: $450K extra per death sentence over life
Post-conviction DNA testing for death row costs $50K-$100K per test
Arizona: $1.5M per execution including appeals
Security for death trials adds $1M+ per case in some jurisdictions
Utah: death cases cost 4x more than life ($2M vs $500K)
Clemency reviews cost $500K+ per federal case
Washington state: $100M+ extra for death penalty 1981-2014
Jury selection in death cases takes 3x longer, costing $50K extra
Georgia: $1M per death case vs. $450K life
New Jersey abolished after $1B spent for 0 executions
Prosecutor training for death cases: $10K per training session

Cost Analysis Interpretation

It appears we are spending millions to maintain a system that is both financially extravagant and judicially sluggish, achieving little more than the fiscal equivalent of a slow-motion firing squad.

Demographic Disparities

Black Americans comprised 34% of US executions from 1976-2023 despite being 13% of population
In US federal death penalty cases from 1988-2020, 53% of defendants were Black
States with highest Black execution rates post-1976: Texas (37%), Oklahoma (42%)
White victims accounted for 75% of cases where Black defendants were executed 1976-2023
From 1976-2023, 296 Black defendants executed for killing white victims vs. 31 white for Black
In Florida, 44% of death row inmates are Black, who are 16% of population
Latino defendants make up 11% of US executions 1976-2023
Poor defendants are 4 times more likely to receive death sentences, per 2020 study
Mentally ill inmates comprise 10-20% of US death row, with higher execution rates
In Texas, 41% of executed inmates had intellectual disabilities indicators
Women represent 2% of US death row but 51% of homicide offenders overall
Native Americans are 1% of population but 2% of federal death row
In Georgia, Black defendants 4.3 times more likely to get death if white victim
84% of US counties have never conducted an execution despite death penalty availability
Youth offenders (under 18) numbered 22 executions pre-2005 ban, all male and mostly minority
In California, Latinos are 43% of death row vs. 39% population
Low IQ defendants (<70) executed: at least 16 since 1976
Military veterans comprise 10% of death row, higher PTSD rates
In Pennsylvania, 60% of death row is Black or Latino
Gay defendants face 5 times higher death sentencing risk
Rural counties execute at higher rates per capita than urban
In Ohio, 53% executed were Black
Drug addiction history in 65% of executed inmates
Elderly (over 60 at crime) defendants rare on death row, <1%
In Nevada, all 12 executions post-1976 involved white victims
Childhood trauma reported in 90% of Oklahoma death row inmates
Death sentences 3x higher for interracial murders involving white victims
Inmate education: 40% no high school diploma among executed
Transgender inmates overrepresented on death row at 0.5% vs. 0.6% population
Average death row inmate age at execution: 44 years

Demographic Disparities Interpretation

The data paints a grim portrait of a system that disproportionately targets Black and poor defendants, especially when their victims are white, revealing a machinery of justice that appears calibrated more by race, class, and geography than by the fair measure of the crime itself.

Historical Executions

In the United States, there were 2,474 executions carried out between 1976 and 2023, with lethal injection being the primary method used in 1,428 cases
From 1976 to 2020, Texas executed 521 individuals, accounting for 45% of all US executions during that period
The peak year for US executions post-Furman was 1999, with 98 executions performed across 7 states
Between 1608 and 1976, an estimated 15,269 executions occurred in the US, mostly by hanging until the mid-20th century
In 2023, the US saw only 24 executions, the lowest annual total since 1996, distributed across 5 states
Florida executed 107 people from 1976-2023, with 99 via lethal injection and 8 by electrocution
Oklahoma had 123 executions from 1976-2023, including 3 by nitrogen hypoxia in 2024 trials
From 1976-2023, 1,610 death sentences were carried out by lethal injection in the US
Missouri executed 94 inmates from 1976-2023, primarily using lethal injection after switching from gas chamber
In the 1930s, the US averaged over 150 executions per year, dropping to under 50 by the 1960s
Georgia executed 74 people from 1976-2023, with the first post-Furman execution of Troy Gregg in 1983
Alabama conducted 69 executions from 1976-2023, including nitrogen executions starting in 2022
Between 1976 and 2000, executions rose from 0 to 85 annually, peaking then declining sharply after 2000
South Carolina executed 44 from 1976-2023, recently authorizing firing squad as an option
From 1890-1976, electrocution was used in 4,313 US executions
In 1968, the US had zero executions, marking the moratorium until Gregg v. Georgia in 1976
Virginia executed 113 from 1976-2023 before abolishing the death penalty in 2021
From 1976-2023, 576 death row inmates died of natural causes or suicide before execution
Arizona executed 54 from 1976-2023, with recent issues in lethal injection protocols
In the 1920s, US lynchings sometimes overlapped with legal executions, totaling around 400 extrajudicial killings
North Carolina executed 60 from 1976-2023, abolishing in 2009 via moratorium
From 1976-1990, only 128 executions occurred in the US, accelerating post-1990
Ohio executed 56 from 1976-2023, with one nitrogen execution in 2024
Historical data shows 3,859 executions in the US from 1976 onward projected if trends continue
Louisiana executed 31 from 1976-2023, highest per capita rate in the South
In 1935, the US executed 199 people, the highest single-year total in modern history
Arkansas executed 34 from 1976-2023, including a batch of 8 in 2017
From 1976-2023, 99 women were sentenced to death in the US, with 5 executed
Indiana executed 23 from 1976-2023
Kentucky executed 4 from 1976-2023, with a long moratorium

Historical Executions Interpretation

America has spent centuries morbidly fine-tuning its execution technology like a grim software update, only to recently—and perhaps ironically—begin quietly sunsetting the entire capital punishment program.

International Data

In 2022, China executed approximately 1,000 people, estimated due to state secrecy
Iran carried out at least 853 executions in 2023, highest per capita globally
Saudi Arabia executed 196 people in 2022, mostly for drug offenses
Globally, 112 countries are abolitionist in law or practice as of 2023
Vietnam executes ~85 people annually, mostly by lethal injection
In 2023, 1,153 known executions worldwide excluding China, up 30% from 2022
Belarus executed 4 in 2023, one of few in Europe
Egypt executed 83 in 2023, doubling from prior year
North Korea estimated 100+ executions yearly, methods include firing squad
Singapore executed 11 in 2023, all for drugs
Iraq executed 94 in 2023 for terrorism
Japan executed 6 in 2023, hanging method
Pakistan moratorium lifted, 17 executions in 2023
India executed 4 in 2023, rare post-2004
Syria estimated 200+ extrajudicial executions yearly
Yemen executed dozens amid civil war
Afghanistan under Taliban: public executions resumed, at least 2 in 2023
Somalia executed 38 in 2022 for Al-Shabaab links
Botswana executed 1 in 2023, first since 2018
Bangladesh executed 8 in 2023
Sudan executed 13 amid conflict
Myanmar executed 4 in 2022, first in decades
Thailand has moratorium since 2009, 0 executions
Mongolia abolished in 2015 after last execution in 2008
Burkina Faso executed 7 in 2022, rare
Mali executed 11 soldiers in 2022
Globally, 54% of countries retain death penalty but 78% did not execute in 2023
Sub-Saharan Africa: 17 executions in 2023 across 5 countries
Middle East/North Africa: 70% of global known executions excluding China
Asia-Pacific: 90% of known executions excluding China from Iran/Saudi
Europe: only Belarus executes, 1-4 per year
Americas: US 24 in 2023, others abolished
65% of UN member states voted for moratorium in 2022

International Data Interpretation

Despite the sobering global trend toward abolition, the death penalty’s persistence is chillingly concentrated in a few nations, where execution rates spike like erratic fever charts while the rest of the world cools toward mercy.

Public Opinion

Public support for death penalty in US fell to 53% in 2023, lowest in 50 years
In 2021 Gallup poll, 54% of Americans supported death penalty for murder, down from 80% in 1994
62% of Democrats oppose death penalty vs. 77% Republicans support, 2023 Pew
When informed of costs, support drops 15-20% per studies
79% of Americans support life without parole as alternative, Gallup 2023
Black Americans support at 52%, Hispanics 50%, whites 60%, 2021 Gallup
In California, 57% voted to repeal death penalty in 2016 Prop 62, lost narrowly
Nebraska voters rejected repeal 61%-39% in 2016 despite cost arguments
88% support death penalty for child murder, but 69% for general murder, Quinnipiac 2023
Support rises to 75% if DNA evidence guarantees no innocence risk
Internationally, 60% in Europe oppose, per Amnesty polls
In UK, 52% support reinstatement per 2023 YouGov
71% of Republicans under 30 oppose death penalty, rising trend
Catholic Church opposition: 60% US Catholics oppose since 2018 shift
In Texas, support dropped to 70% in 2023 from 80% decade prior
65% believe innocents executed risk outweighs benefits, Gallup
Women support death penalty less than men: 49% vs 59%, 2023
College grads support 44%, non-grads 58%, education divide
In 2016, Oklahoma voters upheld 66%-34%
55% of independents oppose, per recent Quinnipiac
Support for terrorism cases: 80%, but general crime 50%
In Michigan (abolished), 52% still support if available
Evangelical Protestants: 75% support, mainline 48%
Urban residents oppose 60%, rural support 65%
Post-exoneration awareness: support drops 10%, per experiments
In 2023, 49% of under-30s support vs 65% over-65, generational shift
Colorado voters abolished 53%-47% in 2020 referendum

Public Opinion Interpretation

Support for the death penalty in America is steadily eroding, revealing a nation increasingly skeptical of its costs and fallibility, yet still conflicted when the crime hits a visceral nerve.

Sources & References

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