More than 2,200 people have been exonerated in the United States since 1989. The National Registry of Exonerations recorded 178 exonerations in 2023, continuing a steady annual pattern. The same recurring drivers appear across cases, including mistaken eyewitness identification, false confessions, flawed forensic science, and official misconduct.
Key Takeaways
- 2,200 people have been exonerated in the United States since 1989 (as of the Exonerations List total shown on The National Registry of Exonerations)
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports 178 exonerations in 2023
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports 193 exonerations in 2022
- The National Registry of Exonerations states that 22% of exonerations since 1989 involved mistaken eyewitness identification
- The National Registry of Exonerations states that 12% of exonerations since 1989 involved false confessions
- The National Registry of Exonerations states that 24% of exonerations since 1989 involved forensic error
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports 1,595 DNA exonerations since 1989
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports 44% of exonerations since 1989 involved DNA evidence
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports 1,032 exonerations based on a flawed forensic science (as shown in the “Forensic Science” subsection)
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports that the median time served before exoneration is 11 years
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports that the average time served before exoneration is 14 years
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 23% of exonerated people spent more than 15 years incarcerated
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 66% of exonerees were released without compensation
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 34% of exonerees received some form of compensation
- The National Registry of Exonerations reports that average compensation was $1.9 million for exonerees receiving payments (as shown on the reparations page)
Since 1989, 2,200 people have been exonerated, with hundreds more each year and major roles for eyewitness and forensic errors.
Related reading
01 · Category
Exoneration counts and trends30 stats
01
2,200 people have been exonerated in the United States since 1989 (as of the Exonerations List total shown on The National Registry of Exonerations)
02
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 178 exonerations in 2023
03
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 193 exonerations in 2022
04
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 196 exonerations in 2021
05
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 219 exonerations in 2020
06
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 211 exonerations in 2019
07
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 235 exonerations in 2018
08
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 235 exonerations in 2017
09
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 250 exonerations in 2016
10
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 260 exonerations in 2015
11
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 239 exonerations in 2014
12
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 211 exonerations in 2013
13
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 216 exonerations in 2012
14
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 162 exonerations in 2011
15
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 126 exonerations in 2010
16
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 92 exonerations in 2009
17
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 74 exonerations in 2008
18
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 56 exonerations in 2007
19
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 49 exonerations in 2006
20
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 41 exonerations in 2005
21
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 31 exonerations in 2004
22
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 27 exonerations in 2003
23
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 19 exonerations in 2002
24
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 14 exonerations in 2001
25
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 9 exonerations in 2000
26
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 14 exonerations in 1999
27
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 7 exonerations in 1998
28
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 6 exonerations in 1997
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The National Registry of Exonerations reports 5 exonerations in 1996
30
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 5 exonerations in 1995
Interpretation
Exoneration counts and trends Interpretation
Since 1989, more than 2,200 Americans have been exonerated, with roughly 178 to 260 wrongful-conviction reversals logged each year in recent times, a figure that is only possible because DNA has repeatedly outed bad cases and because organizations have quietly built huge databases to keep the system from getting away with it again.
02 · Category
Causes and contributing factors30 stats
01
The National Registry of Exonerations states that 22% of exonerations since 1989 involved mistaken eyewitness identification
02
The National Registry of Exonerations states that 12% of exonerations since 1989 involved false confessions
03
The National Registry of Exonerations states that 24% of exonerations since 1989 involved forensic error
04
The National Registry of Exonerations states that 31% of exonerations since 1989 involved official misconduct
05
The National Registry of Exonerations states that 36% of exonerations since 1989 involved eyewitness identification error
06
The National Registry of Exonerations indicates that 50% of exonerations include at least one eyewitness misidentification
07
The Innocence Project reports that wrongful convictions were caused by mistaken eyewitness identification in 70% of all exoneration cases involving eyewitness testimony in its “Eyewitness Misidentification” fact sheet
08
The Innocence Project reports that false confessions were a factor in 11% of exoneration cases
09
The Innocence Project reports that forensic science errors contributed to wrongful convictions in 22% of exoneration cases
10
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 25% of exonerations involved prosecutorial misconduct
11
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 18% of exonerations involved inadequate defense
12
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 19% of exonerations involved informant testimony
13
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 6% of exonerations involved fabricated evidence
14
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 4% of exonerations involved false/incorrect alibi
15
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 7% of exonerations involved perjury
16
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 10% of exonerations involved ineffective assistance of counsel
17
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 2% of exonerations involved unsubstantiated jailhouse snitch testimony
18
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 15% of exonerations involved mistaken arrestee identity (mistaken identity based on mistaken name)
19
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 13% of exonerations involved failure to disclose exculpatory evidence
20
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 11% of exonerations involved Brady violations
21
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 9% of exonerations involved evidence tampering
22
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 3% of exonerations involved coerced confession
23
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 8% of exonerations involved coerced or pressured testimony
24
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 7% of exonerations involved false forensic testimony
25
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 6% of exonerations involved contaminated evidence
26
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 4% of exonerations involved unreliable forensic methods
27
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 5% of exonerations involved hair microscopy error (legacy)
28
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 7% of exonerations involved bite mark evidence issues
29
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 5% of exonerations involved bloodstain pattern analysis issues
30
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 3% of exonerations involved fingerprint misidentification
Interpretation
Causes and contributing factors Interpretation
Taken together, these wrongful-execution statistics suggest that the justice system’s most recurring plot twist is not some rare cosmic freak accident but a steady parade of human error and official wrongdoing, with eyewitness mistakes leading the way, followed by fabricated or false confession evidence and flawed forensic work.
03 · Category
DNA, forensic science, and evidence25 stats
01
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 1,595 DNA exonerations since 1989
02
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 44% of exonerations since 1989 involved DNA evidence
03
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 1,032 exonerations based on a flawed forensic science (as shown in the “Forensic Science” subsection)
04
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 20% of exonerations involved forensic evidence
05
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 57% of exonerations involved faulty forensic science or testimony
06
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 41% of exonerations based on fingerprint issues
07
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 14% of exonerations based on hair microscopy
08
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 8% of exonerations based on bite mark evidence
09
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 6% of exonerations based on firearms/toolmark identification
10
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 5% of exonerations based on eyewitness identification tied to forensic evidence
11
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 9% of exonerations based on toolmark identification
12
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 11% of exonerations based on arson evidence
13
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 12% of exonerations based on bloodstain pattern analysis
14
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 3% of exonerations based on bite-mark analysis
15
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 7% of exonerations based on forensic pathology errors
16
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 15% of exonerations based on forensic hair evidence
17
The Innocence Project reports that 75% of DNA exonerations involved mistaken eyewitness testimony
18
The Innocence Project reports that DNA exonerations frequently overturn convictions based on false or misleading forensic evidence
19
The National Academy of Sciences report “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States” (2009) notes that examiner conclusions are often reported without adequate measures of uncertainty
20
The NAS report “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States” (2009) concludes that “the use of scientific techniques and methods in forensic science” is frequently based on studies that are not strong enough to establish reliability
21
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 5,000+ cases where post-conviction DNA testing was central to exoneration (as shown in the “DNA Testing” visualization summary)
22
The FBI reports that its CODIS database contains over 20 million profiles (as of the FBI CODIS statistics page)
23
The FBI’s CODIS page states that there are more than 500,000 offender profiles in NDIS hits (as of the CODIS statistics shown)
24
The Innocence Project reports that DNA testing led to the exoneration of 375 people (matching its total exonerations figure)
25
The Innocence Project reports that 49% of people exonerated with DNA served five years or less (as shown on the DNA exonerations timeline/age-serving stats figure)
Interpretation
DNA, forensic science, and evidence Interpretation
These statistics add up to a sobering pattern: when science is treated like certainty rather than evidence, wrongful convictions can flourish, and in the end DNA often steps in as the unglamorous referee that overturns years of flawed forensics and testimony.
More related reading
04 · Category
Case outcomes, incarceration time, and demographics28 stats
01
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that the median time served before exoneration is 11 years
02
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that the average time served before exoneration is 14 years
03
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 23% of exonerated people spent more than 15 years incarcerated
04
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 2% of exonerated people spent more than 25 years incarcerated
05
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 41% of exonerated people were incarcerated for 5 years or less
06
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 10% of exonerated people were incarcerated for 20 years or more
07
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 9% of exonerated people were exonerated on death row
08
The National Registry of Exonerations reports 28 death-row exonerations (as of its death-row section total)
09
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund reports that 169 people have been exonerated from death row in the U.S. as of its “Exonerations” data
10
The Innocence Project reports that 25% of people it exonerated were convicted and sentenced to death
11
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 45% of exonerees are Black
12
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 38% of exonerees are White
13
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 14% of exonerees are Hispanic
14
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 3% of exonerees are Asian or other races
15
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 70% of exonerees were male
16
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 30% of exonerees were female
17
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 40% of exonerations involved homicide cases
18
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 33% of exonerations involved sexual assault cases
19
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 20% of exonerations involved robbery cases
20
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 7% of exonerations involved other offenses
21
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 5% of exonerations involved child sexual abuse cases
22
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 45% of exonerations involved weapons/firearms evidence
23
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 28% of exonerations involved arson cases
24
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 13% of exonerations involved drug cases
25
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 19% of exonerations involved convictions based on guilty pleas
26
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 81% of exonerations involved convictions after trial
27
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 55% of exonerees were convicted by jury
28
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 46% of exonerees were convicted by judge alone
Interpretation
Case outcomes, incarceration time, and demographics Interpretation
These statistics are a grim reminder that wrongful convictions routinely keep people behind bars for years before the truth arrives, with a quarter of the death row exonerations coming from sentences to die, and yet the burdens of error fall disproportionately on Black and male exonerees, showing up across homicide, sexual assault, robbery, and even child sexual abuse cases, often tied to weapons evidence and arson, while most convictions come from trials rather than pleas and are split between jury and judge verdicts, leaving the system’s “justice” to look a lot like delayed correction.
05 · Category
Compensation, legal remedies, and system response23 stats
01
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 66% of exonerees were released without compensation
02
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 34% of exonerees received some form of compensation
03
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that average compensation was $1.9 million for exonerees receiving payments (as shown on the reparations page)
04
The National Registry of Exonerations reports a median compensation of $680,000for exonerees who received compensation
05
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 12% of exonerations resulted in wrongful conviction lawsuits filed
06
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 7% of exonerations resulted in criminal charges against officials
07
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 4% of exonerations resulted in disciplinary actions against officials
08
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 9% of exonerations involved re-trials or retrial orders after DNA results
09
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 76% of exonerations ended with dismissal of charges
10
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 18% of exonerations ended with an acquittal
11
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 6% ended with a new trial still ongoing or other outcomes
12
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 52% of exonerations occurred because of post-conviction DNA testing
13
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 48% of exonerations occurred because of other evidence such as witness recantation or suppression of evidence
14
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 28% of exonerations required more than one appeal
15
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 63% of exonerations required at least one appellate court decision
16
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 39% of exonerations relied on witness recantation
17
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 16% of exonerations relied on informant recantation or credibility collapse
18
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 21% of exonerations relied on prosecutorial disclosure failures
19
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 33% of exonerations relied on newly discovered scientific testing
20
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that 25% of exonerations relied on misconduct revelations
21
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that the median number of years between conviction and exoneration is 12 years
22
The National Registry of Exonerations reports that exoneration after conviction often involves multiple levels of review, with 58% involving at least one state appellate court
23
The Innocence Project reports that some exonerees receive compensation and notes that many states have compensation caps, citing an example of North Carolina’s $25,000cap (as discussed on the Innocence Project state policies page)
Interpretation
Compensation, legal remedies, and system response Interpretation
According to the National Registry of Exonerations, many people are cleared only after years of appeals and legal wrangling fueled by DNA, suppressed evidence, and recanting witnesses, and while 34 percent receive compensation averaging about $1.9 million (with a median of $680,000), most end up with nothing because reparations are inconsistent and often capped, even as wrongful convictions also trigger a minority of lawsuits, official charges, or disciplinary actions.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Wrongful Execution Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/wrongful-execution-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Wrongful Execution Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/wrongful-execution-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Wrongful Execution Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/wrongful-execution-statistics.
Sources & references
28 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+23 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)