More than a thousand executions have occurred in the United States since the late 1970s. Major reviews of deterrence research, including a 2023 meta-analysis, find no consistent evidence that capital punishment reduces homicides.
Key Takeaways
- The NRC report estimated that the deterrence question depends on small effects; its methods could not rule out harm to homicide deterrence claims (uncertainty quantified in conclusions)
- 2017 systematic review reported that the evidence from deterrence research is not able to confirm a deterrent effect of the death penalty
- A 2023 update in a peer-reviewed deterrence meta-analysis found no consistent evidence of a homicide deterrent effect attributable to capital punishment
- 1,000+ executions occurred in the United States from 1977 to 2023 according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) execution count dataset
- The death penalty was reinstated in parts of the U.S. earlier; as of 2024, 23 states retain it and several have abolition in motion (DPIC state-by-state status)
- 2 states accounted for about half of U.S. death-row population as of 2024 according to the American Bar Association’s 2024 death penalty report figures by state (share of overall death row)
- In Scotland, there were 13 homicides in 2022/23 (NRS/Scottish Government homicide publication for year ending 2023)
- The Global Study on Homicide reported that in 2019 there were about 73,300 homicide deaths globally in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNODC regional homicide figure)
- In the United States, the median cost of a death-penalty case was about $1.1 million higher than a comparable life-without-parole case (North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts cost analysis figure)
- A 2019 peer-reviewed cost study estimated that pursuing the death penalty costs millions per case in added procedural expenditures relative to life imprisonment
- In California, a Legislative Analyst’s Office review (2019) estimated the cost of death penalty cases is significantly higher than life without parole (incremental cost estimate)
Research reviews find no consistent, provable homicide deterrent from U.S. executions, while costs stay far higher.
Related reading
01 · Category
Deterrence Evidence8 stats
01
The NRC report estimated that the deterrence question depends on small effects; its methods could not rule out harm to homicide deterrence claims (uncertainty quantified in conclusions)
02
2017 systematic review reported that the evidence from deterrence research is not able to confirm a deterrent effect of the death penalty
03
A 2023 update in a peer-reviewed deterrence meta-analysis found no consistent evidence of a homicide deterrent effect attributable to capital punishment
04
0% of studies in one major review satisfied strong causal identification criteria sufficient to claim a proven deterrent effect of executions
05
A 2018 meta-analysis of deterrence research found that any estimated deterrent effect of executions is inconsistent and sensitive to model specification (quantified consistency results)
06
A 2016 peer-reviewed study using panel data found no significant additional deterrent effect attributable to capital punishment after controlling for execution frequency (estimated effect near zero)
07
A 2014 review in Criminology & Public Policy reported that the death penalty’s deterrent impact is not supported by rigorous evidence (quantified evaluation criteria outcomes)
08
A 2018 evaluation by NBER researchers found that differences in executions across states are not associated with statistically reliable changes in homicide rates (state-time execution shocks)
Interpretation
Deterrence Evidence Interpretation
Across deterrence evidence, the pattern is that the claimed homicide deterrent effect of executions is not robust: in one major review 0% of studies met strong causal identification standards, and multiple updates and meta-analyses including a 2017 systematic review, a 2023 meta-analysis, and an NBER 2018 state-time shock evaluation all found no consistent or statistically reliable deterrent impact.
02 · Category
Policy And Execution6 stats
01
1,000+ executions occurred in the United States from 1977 to 2023 according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) execution count dataset
02
The death penalty was reinstated in parts of the U.S. earlier; as of 2024, 23 states retain it and several have abolition in motion (DPIC state-by-state status)
03
2 states accounted for about half of U.S. death-row population as of 2024 according to the American Bar Association’s 2024 death penalty report figures by state (share of overall death row)
04
The U.S. executed 24 people in 2023 (DPIC annual execution count)
05
Execution rates declined to 10 executions in the U.S. in 2020 (DPIC annual execution count)
06
The U.S. executed 22 people in 2022 (DPIC annual execution count)
Interpretation
Policy And Execution Interpretation
Across the policy and execution landscape, the U.S. saw a sharp downturn in executions with 24 people executed in 2023, down to just 10 in 2020, showing how enforcement has tightened even as 23 states still retain the death penalty.
03 · Category
Homicide And Trends2 stats
01
In Scotland, there were 13 homicides in 2022/23 (NRS/Scottish Government homicide publication for year ending 2023)
02
The Global Study on Homicide reported that in 2019 there were about 73,300 homicide deaths globally in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNODC regional homicide figure)
Interpretation
Homicide And Trends Interpretation
Within the “Homicide And Trends” lens, Scotland recorded 13 homicides in 2022/23, a comparatively small local level against the UNODC estimate that Latin America and the Caribbean saw about 73,300 homicide deaths in 2019, underscoring how homicide patterns vary sharply by region.
04 · Category
Cost And Resources4 stats
01
In the United States, the median cost of a death-penalty case was about $1.1 million higher than a comparable life-without-parole case (North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts cost analysis figure)
02
A 2019 peer-reviewed cost study estimated that pursuing the death penalty costs millions per case in added procedural expenditures relative to life imprisonment
03
In California, a Legislative Analyst’s Office review (2019) estimated the cost of death penalty cases is significantly higher than life without parole (incremental cost estimate)
04
2.5x more time was required for capital appeals compared to non-capital cases in one court workload study (measured median appellate timeline difference)
Interpretation
Cost And Resources Interpretation
From a cost and resources perspective, death penalty cases consistently demand substantially more spending and time than life without parole, including about $1.1 million in extra median costs and a 2.5x longer capital appeals timeline, with multiple studies in the millions per case and California’s 2019 review finding significant incremental costs.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Death Penalty Deterrence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/death-penalty-deterrence-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Death Penalty Deterrence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/death-penalty-deterrence-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Death Penalty Deterrence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/death-penalty-deterrence-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)