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StatisticsDeath sentences and executions in 2015
Article by Amnesty International published on April 10th, 2016This report covers the judicial use of the death penalty for the period January to December 2015. As in previous years, information is collected from a variety of sources, including: official figures; information from individuals sentenced to death and their families and representatives; reporting by other civil society organizations; and media reports. Amnesty International reports only on executions, death sentences and other aspects of the use of the death penalty, such as commutations and exonerations, where there is reasonable confirmation.
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The global figures on the use of the death penalty in 2015 revealed two starkly divergent developments. On one hand, four countries abolished the death penalty, reinforcing the long-term trend towards global abolition. On the other hand, the number of executions recorded by Amnesty International during the year increased by more than 50% compared to 2014 and constituted the highest total that Amnesty International has reported since 1989, excluding China.
More than two thirds of the countries in the world have now abolished the death penalty in law or practice.
As of 31 December 2015 the numbers were as follows:
Abolitionist for all crimes: 102
Abolitionist for ordinary crimes only: 6
Abolitionist in practice: 32
Total abolitionist in law or practice: 140
Retentionist: 58
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