Amnesty International says Iran carried out more than 2,150 executions in 2025, contributing to the highest recorded global execution figures since 1981.
In a report released on Monday, the UK-based rights group said it had confirmed at least 2,707 executions worldwide during the year. According to Amnesty, 2,159 of those executions took place in Iran, more than double the figure recorded in 2024.
The organisation described the rise as “staggering” and accused Iranian authorities of increasingly using the death penalty as a tool of political repression. Amnesty said the increase intensified following the June 2025 conflict involving Iran and Israel, as authorities allegedly tightened restrictions on dissent and civil liberties.
“This trend was strongest in countries where the 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 stated.
The group added that executions in Iran linked to anti-government protests and membership of banned organisations had risen sharply following unrest earlier this year.
Amnesty said the known total of 2,159 executions in Iran represented “the highest figure on record since 1981” in the country and the highest globally since that year. Despite the figures, Amnesty stressed that the global total did not include the thousands of executions it believes were carried out in China, which it described as the world’s leading executioner.
The organisation said China’s use of the death penalty remains shrouded in “state secrecy”, preventing accurate documentation of the true number of executions. “Amnesty International continues to consider China as the world’s leading executioner,” the report said.
Beyond Iran and China, Amnesty reported sharp increases in executions across several other countries. Saudi Arabia reportedly carried out at least 356 executions in 2025, surpassing its previous record of 345 in 2024.
Executions in Kuwait rose from six to 17, while Egypt nearly doubled its execution figures from 13 to 23. In Yemen, executions increased from at least 38 to at least 51. The report also highlighted rising execution figures in the United States, where 47 executions were recorded in 2025, the country’s highest total since 2009. Amnesty said an “unprecedented rise” in executions in Florida significantly contributed to the national increase.
Meanwhile, Singapore carried out 17 executions in 2025, marking the country’s highest annual figure since 2003. The rights group warned that the increasing use of the death penalty globally reflected growing authoritarianism and shrinking civic freedoms in several countries.