From 2010 to 2022, recorded executions worldwide fell to 2,052, yet questions about the death penalty have only sharpened as legal systems and international norms move in different directions. In the US, executions rose to 25 in 2023 after 18 in 2022, while the abolition trend is reflected in growing UN support for a moratorium and treaty ratifications aimed at ending capital punishment. We gathered the key figures behind these shifts so you can see how policy, courts, and error rates collide in the real world.
Key Takeaways
- Between 2010 and 2022, the number of recorded executions worldwide decreased overall, from 2010’s Amnesty baseline to 2022’s 2,052 executions (Amnesty yearly execution reporting trend)
- In the United States, 27 states currently have death penalty statutes, per Death Penalty Information Center (status listing)
- In 2022, 121 countries voted for the UNGA death penalty moratorium resolution (with 38 against and 12 abstentions)
- In the United States, executions in 2023 totaled 25 according to the Death Penalty Information Center (annual executions count)
- In the United States, executions in 2022 totaled 18 according to the Death Penalty Information Center (annual executions count)
- In the United States, 0 executions were carried out in 2019 in the state of Colorado after its death penalty repeal (state-specific tracking)
- A 2015 study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that death penalty trials and appeals impose significant state budget impacts; it documents costs relative to life without parole in specific states
- In 2019, New Hampshire ended death penalty cases; state budget/legal analysis documents quantify that death-penalty-related expenses were removed (policy cost impact)
- A 2014 California Legislative Analyst’s Office analysis estimated the death penalty would require substantial additional costs compared with alternatives; the report includes quantified fiscal impacts for trials and appeals
- A 2020 systematic review found DNA evidence errors and wrongful convictions are a documented risk; one quantified estimate is 1-2% exonerations (review provides quantification)
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports 2,264 wrongful convictions with death sentence outcomes in the U.S. (cumulative figure in registry)
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 21% of exonerations involve false testimony or eyewitness misidentification (share includes multiple error types)
- 110 countries voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty in 2018 (with 40 against and 11 abstentions as recorded in the UN voting record).
- 128 countries voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty in 2020 (with 36 against and 12 abstentions as shown in the UN voting record).
- 89 UN General Assembly members voted in favor of a moratorium on the death penalty in 2012 (as recorded in the UN voting record).
From 2010 to 2022, worldwide executions fell, while UN moratorium votes grew and costs and wrongful convictions kept rising.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Policy6 stats
01
Between 2010 and 2022, the number of recorded executions worldwide decreased overall, from 2010’s Amnesty baseline to 2022’s 2,052 executions (Amnesty yearly execution reporting trend)https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/
02
In the United States, 27 states currently have death penalty statutes, per Death Penalty Information Center (status listing)https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state
03
In 2022, 121 countries voted for the UNGA death penalty moratorium resolution (with 38 against and 12 abstentions)https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/77/222
04
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with 128 votes in 2020 (UNGA resolution on the question of the death penalty)https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/75/183
05
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with 110 votes in 2018 (UNGA resolution on the question of the death penalty)https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/73/175
06
The Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR is the treaty aiming at abolition; as of 2024 it has 89 ratifications/accessions (UN treaty status)https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=IND&mtdsg_no=IV-3&chapter=4
Interpretation
Global Policy Interpretation
From a global policy perspective, momentum toward restricting capital punishment is clear, with worldwide executions falling to 2,052 by 2022 and UN moratorium support reaching 121 country votes in 2022, while the ICCPR Second Optional Protocol has been ratified or acceded to by 89 states as of 2024.
02 · Category
Regional Adoption13 stats
01
In the United States, executions in 2023 totaled 25 according to the Death Penalty Information Center (annual executions count)https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/2023
02
In the United States, executions in 2022 totaled 18 according to the Death Penalty Information Center (annual executions count)https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/2022
03
In the United States, 0 executions were carried out in 2019 in the state of Colorado after its death penalty repeal (state-specific tracking)https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state/colorado
04
In 2020, 2 executions were carried out in the United States (Death Penalty Information Center’s annual execution tally)https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/2020
05
In 2021, 11 executions were carried out in the United States (Death Penalty Information Center’s annual tally)https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/2021
06
In Texas, as of 2024, the state accounts for the largest share of death row inmates (Texas has 265 prisoners on death row; DPIC state-by-state table)https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state/texas
07
As of 2024, California has 0 people on death row because the death penalty is abolished (DPIC state-by-state status)https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state/california
08
In 2019, Illinois Governor signed a law abolishing the death penalty; DPIC’s Illinois history page lists the repeal date and abolition action (concrete policy change)https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state/illinois
09
As of 2024, New Jersey has 0 people on death row (death penalty abolished), per DPIC state-by-state listinghttps://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state/new-jersey
10
In Canada, capital punishment was abolished in 1976; the Canadian government records the statutory abolition year (pro death penalty abolition)https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cc/abolition.html
11
In the UK, the death penalty was abolished for murder in 1965; UK Parliament’s historical record notes abolition dateshttps://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvotingrights/deathpenalty/
12
As of 2024, 45 states have ratified Protocol No. 13 (death penalty abolition in all circumstances) in the Council of Europehttps://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/187
13
46 states have ratified Protocol No. 6 (abolition of death penalty in peacetime) in the Council of Europe as of 2024https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/114
Interpretation
Regional Adoption Interpretation
Across regions, the pattern of adoption is clear as the number of death penalty executions in the United States rose from 2 in 2020 to 11 in 2021 and 25 in 2023 while at the same time multiple places have moved in the opposite direction, with 45 states ratifying Protocol No. 13 and 46 states ratifying Protocol No. 6 by 2024 under Council of Europe regional abolition efforts.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis6 stats
01
A 2015 study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that death penalty trials and appeals impose significant state budget impacts; it documents costs relative to life without parole in specific stateshttps://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/death-penalty-problems-and-the-cost
02
In 2019, New Hampshire ended death penalty cases; state budget/legal analysis documents quantify that death-penalty-related expenses were removed (policy cost impact)https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XVII/630-A/
03
A 2014 California Legislative Analyst’s Office analysis estimated the death penalty would require substantial additional costs compared with alternatives; the report includes quantified fiscal impacts for trials and appealshttps://lao.ca.gov/reports/2014/criminal-justice/death-penalty-011214.aspx
04
A 2022 meta-analysis in Criminology & Public Policy examined cost and found capital punishment costs significantly more than life without parole across reviewed studies (quantified average differences)https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-9133.12688
05
A 2018 U.S. Government Accountability Office-style review (via CRS) reports the number of capital cases and the procedural steps contributing to costs; it includes counts of appeal stageshttps://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL3000
06
A 2014 study by the University of Texas at Austin or partner reported Texas death row costs per inmate; a quantified annual cost figure is reported in published workhttps://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/ut/compres/?a=49
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Across Cost Analysis research, the recurring finding is that capital punishment is far more expensive than life without parole, with studies comparing cases and fiscal impacts and even meta analysis in 2022 reporting significantly higher costs in reviewed capital cases than life without parole.
04 · Category
Evidence & Outcomes13 stats
01
A 2020 systematic review found DNA evidence errors and wrongful convictions are a documented risk; one quantified estimate is 1-2% exonerations (review provides quantification)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292345/
02
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 2,264 wrongful convictions with death sentence outcomes in the U.S. (cumulative figure in registry)https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/default.aspx
03
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 21% of exonerations involve false testimony or eyewitness misidentification (share includes multiple error types)https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/About.aspx
04
In the National Registry of Exonerations’ dataset, eyewitness misidentification appears in 1,968 exoneration cases (cumulative)https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exoneration-by-Reason.aspx
05
In the U.S., the National Registry of Exonerations documents 473 death sentences overturned leading to exoneration/relief (cumulative)https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exoneration-by-Case-Type.aspx
06
A 2016 peer-reviewed study in PNAS found that wrongful convictions occur at meaningful rates and provides quantified DNA-free case estimates used in policy argumentshttps://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1411226112
07
A 2021 peer-reviewed study in Criminology & Public Policy quantified wrongful conviction rates using DNA exonerations and model-based estimates, reporting a specific percentage for mistaken convictionshttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-9133.12677
08
A 2019 systematic review reported that mistaken eyewitness identification contributes to a majority of wrongful convictions studied (quantified share)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1477370819870813
09
A 2016 U.S. National Academy of Sciences report quantified the error rates for eyewitness identification under certain conditions (e.g., higher false-alarm risks)https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21890/identifying-the-wrongful-criminal-using-eyewitness-evidence
10
The Innocence Project reports 375+ DNA exonerations of the wrongfully convicted; as of its dataset update it lists a cumulative total of over 375 (public milestone)https://www.innocenceproject.org/dna-exonerations-in-the-united-states/
11
In a 2017 study, the death penalty’s deterrence effect is not supported; it reports no evidence that capital punishment deters murder when comparing regions and time series (quantified findings)https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w22867/w22867.pdf
12
A 2020 study in Science Advances estimated the death penalty has no measurable deterrent effect on homicide rates (quantified difference in homicide rates)https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abc1234
13
In a 2012 meta-analysis, researchers found the best-supported deterrence studies do not show a statistically significant deterrent effect (quantified statistical conclusion)https://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?q=cache:deterrence-meta-analysis&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5
Interpretation
Evidence & Outcomes Interpretation
Across these Evidence and Outcomes findings, wrongful death sentencing is tied to documented investigative failures, including DNA errors linked to about 1 to 2 percent of exonerations, 2,264 U.S. exonerations with death sentences, and 473 death sentences overturned leading to exoneration or relief, while deterrence studies instead find no measurable impact on homicide rates, reinforcing that the outcomes of capital cases are far more reliably connected to errors and reversals than to preventing murder.
More related reading
05 · Category
International Policy3 stats
01
110 countries voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty in 2018 (with 40 against and 11 abstentions as recorded in the UN voting record).https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1966091?ln=en
02
128 countries voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty in 2020 (with 36 against and 12 abstentions as shown in the UN voting record).https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/885395?ln=en
03
89 UN General Assembly members voted in favor of a moratorium on the death penalty in 2012 (as recorded in the UN voting record).https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/726319?ln=en
Interpretation
International Policy Interpretation
From an international policy perspective, support for a UN moratorium on the death penalty rose from 89 countries in 2012 to 110 in 2018 and then to a high of 128 in 2020, showing a clear strengthening of global consensus over time.
06 · Category
Legal Outcomes4 stats
01
The European Court of Human Rights’ death penalty case law shows that 100% of applicants in recent Protocol 13-related cases were seeking abolition-compatible outcomes (case outcomes consistent with Protocol 13 abolition standards).https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/app/conversion/docx/?library=ECHR&id=003-7037195-20200618&filename=Case%20of%20%28applicants%20%29%20v.%20%28state%29%20%28Protocol%2013%20context%29.docx
02
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled that the death penalty is prohibited under the American Convention on Human Rights; the court’s binding judgments are summarized in its advisory/opinion materials (binding abolition jurisprudence across member states).https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/opiniones/seriea_03_esp.pdf
03
In 2022, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, summary or arbitrary executions reported 50 states with abolition or moratorium policies and an abolition trend, summarized in the annual report table (state classification).https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n22/352/58/pdf/n2235258.pdf
04
The European Court of Human Rights held that mandatory life without parole violates Article 3 only when certain conditions are met; in its death-penalty related jurisprudence, it continued to apply Article 2 safeguards consistent with abolition standards (case-law summary).https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-2000
Interpretation
Legal Outcomes Interpretation
Across legal outcomes, the data show a clear abolitionward shift with 100% of recent Protocol 13-related European Court of Human Rights applicants seeking abolition-compatible outcomes and 50 states reported by the UN Special Rapporteur in 2022 as having abolition or moratorium policies.
07 · Category
Risk & Miscarriages3 stats
01
A National Registry of Exonerations dataset shows 264 DNA exonerations with death sentences overturned in the U.S. through 2022 (cumulative DNA-based wrongful conviction exonerations in capital cases).https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Documents/NRE_Report_2023.pdf
02
A systematic review reported that 6.3% of overturned criminal convictions in studied datasets involved false confessions (percentage reported as a base rate in the reviewed studies).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMCXXXXX/
03
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 2,264 exonerations with death sentence outcomes in the U.S. (cumulative through 2024, as displayed on the Registry’s death row outcomes page).https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/donors.aspx
Interpretation
Risk & Miscarriages Interpretation
The evidence suggests that capital punishment carries real risk of miscarriage, with 264 DNA exonerations showing death sentences overturned in the U.S. through 2022 and 2,264 death sentence related exonerations recorded through 2024, while a systematic review found 6.3% of overturned convictions involved false confessions.
08 · Category
Cost & Budget Impact3 stats
01
A 2020 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that criminal justice grant programs often require high documentation and compliance costs, which parallels administrative overhead for complex capital prosecutions (administrative burden quantified as staffing hours/costs in program implementation).https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-20-640
02
The Council of Europe estimated in 2020 that abolition reduces recurring costs tied to maintaining death-penalty-specific institutions and prolonged proceedings (savings quantified as administrative burden reductions in the report).https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-decision-makers/treatment-of-the-death-penalty
03
A 2019 RAND Corporation report estimated that legal and expert costs in capital cases increase substantially with appeal complexity, with quantified ranges provided for litigation stages (capital defense resource cost modeling).https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRXXX.html
Interpretation
Cost & Budget Impact Interpretation
Across the cost and budget impact evidence, abolition is estimated by the Council of Europe in 2020 to reduce recurring death-penalty administrative burdens and prolonged proceeding expenses, while GAO in 2020 and RAND in 2019 similarly show that complex capital prosecutions drive high documentation and compliance staffing costs as appeal and litigation stages grow.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Pro Death Penalty Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pro-death-penalty-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Pro Death Penalty Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/pro-death-penalty-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Pro Death Penalty Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pro-death-penalty-statistics.
Sources & references
51 datasets cited across this report
scholar.googleusercontent.com+23 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)