Global executions hit 40-year high driven by Iran's 'staggering' death toll, Amnesty says

Amnesty International has documented a sharp rise in executions worldwide, bringing the annual total to its highest level in more than four decades, according to a report released Monday. The human rights group said it confirmed at least 2,707 executions in 2025, a figure that represents a increase of more than two-thirds compared with the previous year, and the highest annual total since 1981.

Coverage comparison

Multiple international outlets covered the report, focusing on Iran's central role in the surge. The Australian public broadcaster ABC reported that more than 2,700 people were executed globally last year, a 78 percent increase from 2024, and that about 2,100 of those executions occurred in Iran. France 24's English-language service cited Amnesty's confirmed figure of at least 2,707 executions, with 2,159 of those taking place in Iran — a number more than double that of 2024.

Both outlets highlighted Amnesty's assessment that Iranian authorities intensified their use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression, particularly following the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025. France 24 also noted that the report excludes the thousands of executions Amnesty believes occur each year in China, where official data are not released.

Key claims

  • Global execution numbers: Amnesty International confirmed at least 2,707 executions in 2025, up from about 1,500 the previous year, marking the highest annual figure since 1981. This statistic appeared in multiple sources.
  • Iran's staggering toll: Iran executed at least 2,159 people in 2025, more than double its 2024 figure. Amnesty described the increase as "staggering" and said it constituted the highest number recorded in the country since 1981. The report linked the surge to the authorities' intensified use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression and control, especially in the aftermath of the June 2025 war with Israel, according to both ABC and France 24.
  • China's opacity: Amnesty considers China the world's "leading executioner" but does not include Chinese figures in its total due to "state secrecy" over data. Based on its monitoring, Amnesty believes thousands of people are sentenced to death and executed there each year. The group's report points to "disclosures and commentary by the authorities" indicating an intentional use of the death penalty to send a political message, a claim carried by multiple sources.
  • Regional increases: Executions also rose in several other countries. In the United States, the number increased from 25 to 47. Saudi Arabia carried out at least 356 executions, surpassing its previous record of 345 in 2024. Kuwait's executions almost tripled, from six in 2024 to 17, and Egypt's nearly doubled, from 13 to 23. In Yemen, the figure rose by more than a third, from at least 38 to at least 51. Singapore carried out 17 executions, its highest number since 2003. These figures were reported by France 24 and other sources.

Perspectives

Amnesty International frames the rise in executions as a symptom of authoritarian regimes "taking the gloves off and playing hardball with repression of dissent," as Andrew Witheford, Amnesty adviser on international affairs, told ABC. The organization's report states that the trend was strongest in countries where authorities have "tightened their grip on power by restricting civic space, silencing dissent and displaying disregard for protections established under international human rights law and standards."

The report also notes that Amnesty and other rights groups have observed Iran stepping up its use of the death penalty again in 2026, following January protests and the war against Israel and the United States, with executions linked to protest-related charges and membership in banned groups. This perspective is shared by France 24.

No official responses from the countries named in the report were included in the articles reviewed.