U.S. Executions Surge in 2025 — Highest Level in a Decade

States like Florida, Texas and Alabama drive the increase as new methods and politics reshape capital-punishment landscape

By NM TV Newsroom

Published: November 13, 2025

Sources: CBS News, Associated Press

The U.S. is experiencing a significant uptick in court-ordered executions in 2025 — with numbers already surpassing last year and heading toward levels not seen in more than a decade. Experts say the surge is driven by a handful of states, new execution methods and shifting political winds.

What’s happening

As of early October, at least 35 executions had been carried out in the U.S., exceeding the total of 25 from all of 2024.

The sharpest increases come from a few Republican-led states — notably Florida, Texas, Alabama and South Carolina — which together account for roughly 76% of this year’s executions.

Florida has set a new record under Governor Ron DeSantis, executing more people in a single year than at any time since the modern death-penalty era began in the 1970s.

New and controversial execution methods are also emerging. For example, nitrogen hypoxia (asphyxiation via inert gas) and firing-squad executions are being used where lethal-injection drugs are hard to obtain.

Why it matters

The spike raises serious questions about justice, due process and how politics influences capital punishment. When only a few states drive the increase, the uniformity and fairness of policy come under scrutiny.The use of new methods (nitrogen gas, firing squad) signals that states are responding to legal and supply challenges — but it also reignites debates about humanity, transparency and constitutional rights.For the public and victims’ families, this trend affects trust in the system: Are executions being carried out consistently? Is oversight adequate? Are states exercising this ultimate power with the care it demands?

The caveats

Though the numbers are rising, the U.S. is still far from the peak of executions (98 in 1999). Each state has its own policies, procedures and legal frameworks for death sentences — so broad national generalisations may miss large variations on the ground.Some planned executions have been delayed or stayed due to legal appeals, drug shortages or method-changes — meaning the full 2025 totals and trends remain fluid.

What comes next

Keep an eye on whether other states follow Florida’s lead or whether the increase remains concentrated in a few jurisdictions.Watch for legal challenges and whether courts respond to concerns about method (e.g., nitrogen hypoxia) or fairness in death-row cases.Monitor legislative moves: Some states may push to expand capital-punishment laws or ease method access; others may reconsider or impose moratoria.For victims’-rights advocates, human-rights organisations and the public alike, the year raises a broader question: What role should the death penalty play in modern American justice?

Conclusion

The sharp rise in U.S. executions in 2025 is more than a statistical blip — it reflects deeper shifts in state policy, method choice and political will. As few states carry the load and novel execution methods emerge, questions about fairness, consistency and the meaning of justice become ever more critical.