Executions in the United States nearly doubled in 2025 compared with the previous year, driven largely by a surge in Florida, which carried out more death sentences in a single year than ever before.
A year-end report from the Death Penalty Information Center showed that 46 executions have been completed so far this year, up from 25 in 2024, with two more scheduled in Georgia and Florida this week. If carried out, the total of 48 executions would mark the highest annual count in more than 15 years. Florida alone accounts for 19 executions, roughly 40% of the national total, breaking its previous record of eight executions in 2014.
The spike in executions coincides with President Trump’s second term, during which federal executions have resumed after being paused in 2021. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attributed the state’s accelerated schedule to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasized the importance of providing timely justice for victims’ families. He also argued that the death penalty can serve as a deterrent for the most serious crimes.
Among Florida’s scheduled executions is Frank Walls, 58, convicted of murdering two individuals during a 1987 home invasion, who later admitted to three additional killings. Other states with multiple executions this year include Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas, each with five.
The report also highlighted that at least 40 of this year’s executed prisoners had significant vulnerabilities, including severe mental illness, brain injuries, childhood trauma, or intellectual disabilities. Experts note that changes in legal standards and societal understanding of these issues mean many of these individuals likely would not receive death sentences today. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing how states should use IQ testing to assess intellectual disability in capital cases, amid concerns that a narrow focus could endanger vulnerable individuals.
Veterans are another significant group among this year’s executions, with 10 put to death—the highest in nearly two decades. Some, like Jeffrey Hutchinson, who was executed for a 1998 quadruple murder, suffered from PTSD or traumatic brain injuries sustained during military service. Advocates say these factors were often inadequately presented to juries at the time of sentencing.
While executions rose, new death sentences continue a long-term decline. In 2025, 22 individuals received new death sentences across eight states: Florida, California, Alabama, Texas, North Carolina, Arizona, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. Experts cite declining prosecutorial pursuit of capital punishment, the cost and complexity of cases, and increasing jury reluctance as contributing factors.
Public support for the death penalty also remains at historic lows. A recent Gallup poll found 52% of Americans favor its use for murder convictions, the lowest level of support since 1972, reflecting a growing national trend away from capital punishment.