Figures on the death penalty

Amnesty International has been monitoring developments around the use of the death penalty and campaigning for its abolition for more than three decades.

In 1977, only 16 countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes. As of December 2008 that figures stands at 93 and more than two thirds of the countries in the world have abolished the death penalty in law or practice.

Of the 59 retentionist countries, only 24 are known to have carried out executions in 2007. Eighty eight percent of all known executions took place in five countries: China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the USA.

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The use of the death penalty in 2007
During 2007, at least 1,252 people were executed in 24 countries. At least 3,347 people were sentenced to death in 51 countries. These were only minimum figures; the true figures were certainly higher.

Death penalty by country
More than two thirds of the countries in the world have abolished the death penalty in law or practice.

Abolitionist for all crimes
Countries whose laws do not provide for the death penalty for any crime.

Abolitionist for ordinary crimes only
Countries whose laws provide for the death penalty only for exceptional crimes such as crimes under military law or crimes committed in exceptional circumstances.

Abolitionist in practice
Countries that can be considered to have an established practice of not using the death penalty but retain it in their laws.