The death penalty is legal in about 55 countries as of 2025. Some notable countries where it is legal include China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Vietnam, Iraq, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Sudan, Uganda, North Korea, Syria, Taiwan, and a number of others across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Many of these countries actively carry out executions, sometimes in significant numbers. Meanwhile, approximately 150 countries have abolished the death penalty entirely or have moratoria on executions.
To summarize the global situation by region:
- Asia: China (highest numbers), Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and others have the death penalty legal.
- Middle East: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Jordan.
- Africa: Countries like Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana still have the death penalty legal.
- Americas: The United States, Jamaica, and some Caribbean countries.
- Europe: Almost all countries have abolished the death penalty, with a few exceptions like Belarus.
Overall, the death penalty remains legal mainly in countries in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, while most European, South American, and Oceanian countries have abolished it.
