Capital punishment by country

The following is a summary of the use of capital punishment by country.

Global overview

Historically, capital punishment has been used in almost every part of the world. Currently, the large majority of countries have either abolished or discontinued the practice. The use of capital punishment is usually divided into the four categories set out below. As of July 2015, of the 196 independent states that are UN members or have UN observer status:

• 102 have abolished it for all crimes;
• 7 have abolished it, but retain it for exceptional or special circumstances (such as crimes committed in wartime);
• 50 retain it, but have not used it for at least 10 years or are under a moratorium;
• 37 retain it in both law and practice.

Recent complete abolition of capital punishment

Gabon (2010), Latvia (2012), Benin (2012), Mongolia (2012), Madagascar (2012), Chad (2014, restored for terrorism in 2015), Fiji (2015), and Suriname (2015)

Execution of minors

Since 2009, Iran and Saudi Arabia have executed offenders who were under the age of 18 at the time the crime was committed.^[1]

Public execution

In 2013, public executions were carried out by the governments of Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia.^[2]

Extrajudicial execution

In some countries the practice of extrajudicial execution sporadically or systematically outside their own formal legal frameworks occurs. Information on this is not covered in this article.

Industrialized world

Of the countries generally considered to be in the Western society (relatively wealthy, stable functional democracies with well-educated populations), just five countries continue to perform capital punishment: the United States, Japan, Singapore, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Taiwan. In South Korea, there is a moratorium.

The European Union holds a strong position against the death penalty; its abolition is a key objective for the Union’s human rights policy. Abolition is also a pre-condition for entry into the Union. In Europe, only Belarus continues to execute people.^[3]

Asia and former Soviet republics

Most executions worldwide take place in Asia.
China is the world's most active executioner. North Korea often uses the death penalty.
In Islamic countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, the numbers of executions are also very high.
India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan belong to the few industrialized democracies that still have the death penalty (South Korea has a moratorium).
Of the former Soviet republics, only Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan have the death penalty. In Kazakhstan, it is only used in exceptional/special circumstances such as for crimes committed in wartime.

Africa

In Africa, it is chiefly Islamic countries that use the death penalty. Chad repealed the death penalty in 2014, but restored it for terrorism in 2015. Botswana and Equatorial Guinea are examples of non-Islamic countries that still execute people.

Central and South America

In Central and South America, the death penalty still exists in Belize, Guatemala, Guyana, and in the Caribbean countries (it does not exist in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti; the other Caribbean countries except St. Kitts & Nevis are currently regarded as de facto abolitionists). In Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, and Peru, it is used only in exceptional/special circumstances such as for crimes committed in wartime.

Summary of current use

Worldwide, 94 countries still have capital punishment in their lawbooks, and 37 of them currently perform executions:

• Of the 54 African countries, 36 have the death penalty, and 11 of them currently execute people (Botswana, Chad [only for terrorism], Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Libya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan).
• Of the 35 American countries, 19 have the death penalty, but only 2 of them (the United States and St. Kitts & Nevis) currently execute people, while the others are regarded as abolitionists or as de-facto abolitionists.
• Of the 57 Asian-Pacific countries, 37 currently have the death penalty, and 23 of them still execute people (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, China [not in Hong Kong and Macao], India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Yemen). Most executions worldwide take place in Asia.
• Of the 49 European countries, only 1 (Belarus) still has the death penalty and executes people.

Capital punishment for non-violent offenses

Drug trafficking

• 

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, China (not in Hong Kong and Macao), Cuba, Egypt, India (option when second conviction for drug trafficking in quantities specified), Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States (only under certain conditions), Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

Homosexuality

• 

Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan (for three-times offenders; punishment for the first and second times is flogging), United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Apostasy

• 

Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

In Iran, Mauritania, Qatar, and Yemen, there have been no recorded executions so far.

Perjury and treason

Perjury causing the execution of an innocent person: Bangladesh, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, some US States (e.g. California).
Treason: Algeria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Israel (high treason), Japan, Kenya, Laos, Libya, Myanmar (high treason), Nauru, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United States (Federal and in some individual States; Vermont keeps death penalty for treason, but has abolished it for murder), Vietnam, Zambia.

Espionage

Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Iran, Peru, Qatar, United States, Vietnam.

Corruption

China (not in Hong Kong and Macao), Cuba, Iran ("corruption on Earth").

Fraud

China (not in Hong Kong and Macao), Vietnam.

Theft

Algeria (aggravated theft), North Korea (grand theft), Saudi Arabia (fourth conviction), Syria.

Adultery

Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Yemen.

Other

In Saudi Arabia, one can be executed for practicing sorcery/witchcraft.
In the Central African Republic, one can be executed for charlatanism and practicing sorcery/witchcraft.

Numbers executed in 2014

Country	Total executed (2014)[4]	(Min) Per Million People (2014)
China	7003100000000000000♠1,000+	0.7
Iran	7002289000000000000♠289+	3.707
Saudi Arabia	7001900000000000000♠90+	2.925
Iraq	7001610000000000000♠61+	1.701
United States	7001350000000000000♠35	0.110
Sudan	7001230000000000000♠23+	0.593
Yemen	7001220000000000000♠22+	0.881
Egypt	7001150000000000000♠15+	0.173
Somalia	7001140000000000000♠14+	1.309
Jordan	7001110000000000000♠11	1.665
Equatorial Guinea	7000900000000000000♠9	11.567
Pakistan	7000700000000000000♠7	0.038
Afghanistan	7000600000000000000♠6	0.192
Taiwan	7000500000000000000♠5	0.213
Belarus	7000300000000000000♠3+	0.317
Vietnam	7000300000000000000♠3+	0.033
Japan	7000300000000000000♠3	0.024
Malaysia	7000200000000000000♠2+	0.066
Palestine	7000200000000000000♠2+	0.440
Singapore	7000200000000000000♠2	0.366
United Arab Emirates	7000100000000000000♠1	0.106
North Korea	7001500000000000000♠50+	2.079

Capital punishment by continents

Africa

Of the 54 independent states in Africa that are UN members:

• 18 have abolished it.
• 25 permit its use for ordinary crimes, but have not used it for at least 10 years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions, or it is under a moratorium.
• 11 maintain the death penalty in both law and practice.

The information above is accurate as of 2015 when Uganda and Zimbabwe became de facto abolitionist for not carrying out the death penalty for over 10 years. Chad abolished the death penalty in 2014, but restored it for terrorism in 2015.

• In 2014, Sudan was Africa's leading executioner. This century the following African countries have abolished capital punishment; Ivory Coast (2000), Senegal (2004), Rwanda (2007), Burundi (2009), Togo (2009), Gabon (2010), Benin (2012) and Madagascar (2012).

Executions in Africa in 2014: Egypt (16+), Equatorial Guinea (9), Somalia (14+), Sudan (23+)^[5]
Note: The tables can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the icon.

Key	Country	Year of last execution	Executions 2014[6]	Year abolished	Notes
	Algeria	1993		n/a	Death penalty for treason; espionage; attempts to change the regime or actions aimed at incitement; destruction of territory; sabotage to public and economic utilities; massacres and slaughters; participation in armed bands or in insurrectionary movements; counterfeiting; terrorism; acts of torture or cruelty; kidnapping; aggravated theft. Currently under a moratorium. On 20 December 2012, Algeria co-sponsored and voted in favour of the Resolution on a Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty at the UN General Assembly.[7]
	Angola	*None since independence in 1975		1992	Abolished in 1992 by Constitution
	Benin	1987		2012	On 6 July 2012, Benin acceded to the Second Additional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which makes Benin abolitionist.[8]
	Botswana	2013[9]		n/a	Hanging. Death penalty for murder; treason; attempt on the life of the head of state; mutiny; desertion in the face of the enemy
	Burkina Faso	1988		n/a	Death penalty for treason.[10] In 2015, Burkina Faso was considering abolishing the death penalty.[11]
	Burundi	2000[12]		2009[13]
	Cameroon	1997[14]		n/a	Death penalty for secession; espionage; incitement to war.[15] In February 2014, the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, commuted all persons condemned to the death penalty to life in prison. The decree commuted their sentences to 25 years incarceration.[16]
	Cape Verde	*None since independence in 1975		1981	Last execution when a colony of Portugal was 1835. Abolished in 1981 by Constitution.
	Central African Republic	1981		n/a	Death penalty for treason; espionage; charlatanism; witchcraft; assassination; murder[17]
	Chad	2015[18]		n/a	Death penalty abolished 2014.[19] Reintroduced for terrorism in 2015 [20]
	Comoros	1997[21]		n/a
	Democratic Republic of the Congo	2003[22]		n/a
	Congo	1982		n/a
	Ivory Coast	*None since independence in 1960[23]		2000
	Djibouti	*None since independence in 1977		1995
	Egypt	2015[24]	16+	n/a	Hanging or firing squad. Death penalty for rape (if the victim is also kidnapped); murder; treason; organized drug trafficking
	Equatorial Guinea	2014[25]	9	n/a
	Eritrea	*None since independence in 1993		n/a	Last execution when part of Ethiopia was 1989.
	Ethiopia	2007[26]		n/a	Death penalty for murder, treason, armed conspiracy, genocide, outrages against the constitution
	Gabon	1981[27]		2010[28]	Abolished in February 2010
	Gambia	2012[29]		n/a	Death penalty for treason. Abolished 1993 but was reinstated by Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council in August 1995[23]
	Ghana	1993		n/a	Death penalty for murder; treason; armed robbery[23] In 2014, it was agreed that a referendum would be held on several constitutional amendments including the abolition of capital punishment.[30]
	Guinea-Bissau	1986		1993	Abolished 1993 by constitution.
	Guinea	2001[31]		n/a	Death penalty for murder
	Kenya	1987		n/a	Death penalty for murder, armed robbery,[32] treason. On 3 August 2009, the death sentences of all 4,000 death row inmates were commuted to life imprisonment, and government studies were ordered to determine if the death penalty has any impact on crime.
	Lesotho	1984		n/a
	Liberia	1995[23]		n/a	Death penalty for armed robbery, terrorism, hijacking. On 16 September 2005, Liberia acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, abolishing the death penalty, but re-introduced elements of it in July 2008.[33][34]
	Libya	2010[35]		n/a	Libya executed more people (18) in 2010, than any other African state. Current laws allow capital punishment for high treason; attempt to forcibly change the form of government; premeditated murder[36]
	Madagascar	1958		2012	Abolished 10 December 2014[37] Earlier, on 24 September 2012, Madagascar had signed the Second Additional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.[38]
	Malawi	1992[39]		n/a
	Mali	1980		n/a
	Mauritania	1987		n/a	Death penalty for sodomy,[40] apostasy[41] (no recorded executions).
	Mauritius	1987		1995
	Morocco	1993		n/a	Death penalty for terrorism[32] In December 2013 a parliamentary opposition group filed a bill to abolish the death penalty in Morocco. The MP who introduced the bill said he was "optimistic" about the bill passing "in view of the current reform movement in Morocco".[42]
	Mozambique	1986		1990	Abolished November 1990 by Constitution
	Namibia	*None since independence in 1990		1990	Last execution when occupied by South Africa was in 1988. Abolished March 1990 by Constitution.
	Niger	1976		n/a
	Nigeria	2013[43]		n/a	Death penalty for sodomy,[44] kidnapping. Each of the 36 states has its own laws. In the north of the country, Sharia (Islamic law) is used. In Imo State, a bill that provided capital punishment for kidnapping was signed into law. Southern states of Nigeria have imposed a moratorium on the death penalty since 2004.[45]
	Rwanda	1998		2007[46]	Since some of the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide fled to countries that refuse to extradite suspects to countries that use capital punishment, the Rwandan parliament voted to abolish capital punishment in 2007.
	São Tomé and Príncipe	*None since independence in 1975		1990	Abolished September 1990 by Constitution
	Senegal	1967		2004
	Seychelles	*None since independence in 1976		1993	Abolished June 1993 by Constitution
	Sierra Leone	1998		n/a	Death penalty for treason;[47] murder; aggravated robbery. Under the Special Court for Sierra Leone the death penalty is not a punishment for war crimes
	Somalia	2015[48]	14+	n/a	Hanging, firing squad or stoning. Somalia is the only African state that carries out public executions. The Transitional Federal Government laws allowed for execution (in the limited area of the country it used to control) for murder and adultery.
	South Africa	1989		1995	The last execution by the South African government was on 14 November 1989. An execution occurred in the internationally unrecognised "homeland" of Venda in 1991.[14] Capital punishment was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court on 6 June 1995 in the case of S v Makwanyane and Another. In 1997 the Criminal Law Amendment Act formally removed the invalidated provisions from the statute-book, and made provision for the resentencing of prisoners previously sentenced to death.[49] On 25 May 2005 the Constitutional Court ordered that all remaining death sentences in the country be set aside and the prisoners resentenced as soon as possible.[50]
	South Sudan	2013[51]		n/a	Death penalty for treason; insurgency, banditry, sabotage or terrorism resulting in death; perjury in a capital case leading to wrongful execution; murder; attempted murder causing injury by a person sentenced to life for a previous murder; brigandage with murder; and drug dealing under aggravated circumstances.[52]
	Sudan	2014[9]	23+	n/a	Death penalty for sodomy,[53] waging war against the state,[54] apostasy,[41] prostitution, treason, acts that may endanger the independence or unity of the state, murder, armed robbery, weapon possession and smuggling
	Swaziland	1983[55]		n/a	Death penalty for murder;[56] treason
	Tanzania	1994		n/a	Death penalty for murder; treason
	Togo	1978[57]		2009[58]
	Tunisia	1991		n/a	Death penalty for murder; violence and aggression; attacks against the external security of the state. On 6 January 2014 the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) voted for maintaining capital punishment in the upcoming constitution in Tunisia. The votes were by 135 yes out of a total of 174.[59] Since 2015, it has been possible to give the death penalty for terrorism.
	Uganda	2005[60]		n/a	Death penalty for murder.[61] In 2009, the Supreme Court upheld a 2005 Constitutional Court ruling that although the death penalty was constitutional, its use as a mandatory punishment for certain crimes was not.[62]
	Zambia	1997		n/a	Death penalty for murder; aggravated robbery; high treason. President Levy Mwanawasa stated in 2004 that "For as long as I remain President, I will not execute a death warrant."[39] (He died in office in 2008.)
	Zimbabwe	2005[63]		n/a	Current capital crimes are drug trafficking; treason; murder; mutiny.[64]

Americas

Of the 35 independent states in the Americas that are UN members:

• 16 (46%) have abolished capital punishment.
• 4 (11%) retain it for crimes committed in exceptional circumstances (such as in time of war).
• 13 (37%) permit its use for ordinary crimes, but have not used it for at least 10 years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions, or it is under a moratorium.
• 2 (6%), the United States and St. Kitts & Nevis, maintain the death penalty in both law and practice.

The United States was the only country in the Americas to carry out executions in 2015. It performs the most executions of any First World country and performs the fifth most worldwide, after China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. (North Korea is thought to execute a large but unknown number of persons each year). The countries in the Americas that most recently abolished the death penalty are Suriname (2015), Argentina (2009) and Bolivia (2007).

Executions in the Americas in 2015: United States (28).^[65]

Note: The tables can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the icon.

Key	Country	Year of last execution	Executions 2014	Year abolished	Notes
	Antigua and Barbuda	1991		n/a	Death penalty for murder
	Argentina	1916		2009 (military) 1853 (civilian)[66]	Constitution states "The penalty of death for political offences, all kinds of torture, and flogging, are forever abolished."[67] The Military Code of Justice (including the death penalty) was abolished on 6 August 2008 taking effect the following year.[68]
	Bahamas	2000		n/a	Death penalty for treason; piracy; murder
	Barbados	1984[14]		n/a	Death penalty for murder; treason. Presently under review before the IACHR despite strong national support.[69][70]
	Belize	1985[14]		n/a	Death penalty for murder, except where extenuating circumstances can be proved[71]
	Bolivia	1974		2013	Abolished for ordinary crimes 1997. "The death penalty does not exist" (Article 15).
	Brazil	1876		n/a	Brazil has always maintained the death penalty as part of its military code but capital punishment for civil offenses was abolished after Brazil became a republic in 1889, then reinstated and abolished again twice (1938–53 and 1969–78).[72][73][74][75] Only one person was ever sentenced to death during the Republican period, in 1969, and the execution was not carried out. The current Constitution of Brazil (1988) expressly forbids the use of capital punishment by the civil penal justice system.[76] For more information see Capital punishment in Brazil.
	Canada	1962 (military c.1945)		1976	Abolished in 1976 for ordinary crimes; abolished 1998 for military offences (last used in 1945). For more information see Capital punishment in Canada
	Chile	1985		n/a	Abolished from civil justice in 2001
	Colombia	1909		1910	Abolished in 1910 by Constitutional reform. Prohibited by the Colombian Constitution of 1991: "The right to life is inviolable. There will be no death penalty."
	Costa Rica	1859[77]		1877	Abolished 1877 by Constitution
	Cuba	2003[78]		n/a	Firing squad. Death penalty for murder, attempted murder, hijacking, acts of terrorism, treason, political offenses, child rape, molestation of a child under 12 years of age with aggravating factors, rape of an adult with aggravating factors, rape of an adult that results in death, illness or grievous bodily harm, robbery with aggravating factors, drug offenses, production of child pornography, child trafficking, child prostitution, child corruption, piracy. De facto abolitionist as the last execution took place on 11 April 2003. The last death sentences were commuted in 2010.[79] See also Capital punishment in Cuba
	Dominica	1986		n/a
	Dominican Republic	1966		1966	Abolished in 1966 by Constitution.
	Ecuador	1884		1906	Abolished 1906 by Constitution. See Capital punishment in Ecuador.
	El Salvador	1973		n/a	May be imposed only in cases provided by military laws during a state of international war.[80] Abolished for other crimes 1983.
	Grenada	1978		n/a
	Guatemala	2000[81]		n/a	Lethal injection
	Haiti	1972		1987	Abolished 1987 by Constitution.
	Guyana	1997		n/a	Death penalty for terrorist acts;[82] murder; mass murder; rape; willful murder; treason; torture. The constitution states that it must not be a mandatory punishment.
	Honduras	1940		1956	Abolished 1956 by Constitution.
	Jamaica	1988[83]		n/a	Death penalty for murder[84]
	Mexico	1961 – Military 1937 – Civilian		1976	Abolished for all crimes in 2005.[85] See also Capital punishment in Mexico.
	Nicaragua	1930		1979	Abolished 1979 by Constitution
	Panama	*None since independence in 1903		1903	Abolished 1903 by Constitution.
	Paraguay	1928		1992	Abolished 1992 by Constitution
	Peru	1979		n/a	Death penalty for treason; terrorism; espionage; genocide; mutiny; desertion in times of war.[80] Abolished for other crimes 1979.
	Saint Kitts and Nevis	2008[86]		n/a	Death penalty for murder
	Saint Lucia	1995		n/a	Death penalty for murder; treason
	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1995		n/a	Death penalty for murder; treason
	Suriname	1982		2015[87]	In March 2015, the National Assembly approved legislation formally abolishing the death penalty in Suriname. But the legislators raised the highest prison term limits from 30 to 50 years in what is seen as a compromise to amending the Criminal code. See Capital punishment in Suriname
	Trinidad and Tobago	1999		n/a	Death penalty for murder; treason[88]
	United States	2016[89]	35[65]	n/a	Methods vary by state, federal, and military policy, but include lethal injection, hanging, firing squad, the electric chair, and the gas chamber. Federal law provides the death penalty for many homicide-related crimes, espionage, treason, terrorism, and drug trafficking.[90][91] 31 of the 50 states currently have the death penalty. Of the non-state territories, American Samoa still has capital punishment as a local statute,[92] and the others have abolished it. The Supreme Court has severely limited the crimes that the death penalty can be a punishment for, the only two being murder and treason. It has also abolished the death penalty for crimes committed by a person under the age of 18. Sentences of death may be handed down by a jury or a judge (upon a bench trial or a guilty plea). See Capital punishment in the United States.
	Uruguay	1905		1907	Abolished 1907 by Constitution
	Venezuela	*None since independence in 1830		1863	Abolished 1863 by Constitution

Asia-Pacific

Of the 57 independent countries in the Asia-Pacific region that are UN member or observer states:

• 20 (35%) have abolished it.
• 2 (4%) retain it for crimes committed in exceptional circumstances (such as in time of war).
• 12 (21%) permit its use for ordinary crimes, but have not used it for at least 10 years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions, or it is under a moratorium.
• 23 (40%) maintain the death penalty in both law and practice.

The information above is accurate as of 2015, when Fiji abolished the death penalty.

• In 2014, Asia had the worlds four leading practitioners of capital punishment – China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. China continues to execute more people than the rest of the world put together. The most recent countries to abolish capital punishment in the Asia-Pacific region are; Timor-Leste (2002), Bhutan (2004), Samoa (2004), Philippines (2006), Kyrgyzstan (2007), Uzbekistan (2008), Mongolia (2012), and Fiji (2015).

Executions in 2014: China (1000+), North Korea (+), Iran (743+),^[93] Iraq (61+), Saudi Arabia (90+), Yemen (23+), Jordan (11), Afghanistan (6), Vietnam (3+), Japan (3), Palestine (26+), Malaysia (2+), Singapore (2), UAE (1).^[5]

Note: The tables can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the icon.

Key	Country	Year of last execution	Executions 2014[6]	Year abolished	Notes
	Afghanistan	2015[94]	6	n/a	Hanging; shooting. Current laws allow capital punishment for apostasy,[95] homosexuality, and murder.
	Australia	1967[96]		1985	Capital punishment was abolished in Queensland in 1922, Tasmania in 1968, The Northern Territory; Australian Capital Territory and the Commonwealth in 1973, Victoria in 1975, South Australia in 1976, Western Australia in 1984 and New South Wales in 1985. See also capital punishment in Australia.
	Bahrain	2010[97]		n/a	Death penalty for premeditated murder; plotting to topple the regime; collaborating with a foreign hostile country; threatening the life of the Emir; defiance of military orders in time of war or martial law
	Bangladesh	2015[98]		n/a	Hanging. Death penalty for murder;[99] drug offences;[100] sodomy, trafficking in children for immoral or illegal purposes; trafficking in women for purposes of prostitution, terrorism, rape, armed robbery, perjury causing wrongful execution, treason[101] and war crimes.
	Bhutan	1974[39]		2004
	Brunei	*None since independence in 1984		n/a	Last execution when a protectorate of Britain was in 1957. Death penalty for murder; unlawful possession of firearms and explosives; possession of heroin or morphine of more than 15 grams, cocaine of more than 30 grams, cannabis of more than 500 grams, syabu or methamphetamine of more than 50 grams, or opium of more than 1.2 kg[102] A new penal code was introduced in April 2014 and introduced the death penalty for male same-sex acts if one of the parties is Muslim (by stoning); rape; adultery; sodomy; extramarital sexual relations for Muslims; insulting any verse of the Quran and Hadith; blasphemy; declaring oneself a prophet or non-Muslim; and murder.[102][103]
	Cambodia	1989		1989	Abolished in 1989 by Constitution.
	China	2015[104][105]	1000+	n/a	Shooting; lethal injection. China carries out far more executions than all of the rest of the world combined, and is the only country in the world that routinely executes thousands of people every year.[106] On 25 February 2011 China's newly revised Criminal Law reduced the number of crimes punishable by death by 13, from 68 to 55.[107] Among these are embezzlement, rape (particularly of children), fraud, bombing, people trafficking, piracy, corruption, arson, murder, poaching, endangerment of national security and terrorism. Even the higher sections of Chinese society are not exempt from the death penalty, as a billionaire was recently put to death.[105][108] See also capital punishment in the People's Republic of China.  Hong Kong and  Macau are under different jurisdiction from China and have abolished the death penalty. See corresponding entries.
	Fiji	*None since independence in 1970		2015[109]	Last execution when a colony of Britain was in 1964. The death penalty for crimes under the Republic of Fiji Military Forces Act was abolished in Feb 2015. Abolished for other crimes 1979.
	Hong Kong	1966		1993	Main article: Capital punishment in Hong Kong It was last used in 1966 and abolished in 1993 by the then British colonial government.
	India	2015		n/a	Main article: Capital punishment in India Death penalty for murder; instigating a minor's or an idiot's suicide; treason; acts of terrorism; a second conviction for drug trafficking, aircraft hijacking, aggravated robbery, treason, aggravated rape and drug smuggling under aggravated circumstances; abetting sati, mutiny and its abetting; causing explosions which can endanger life or property and a few military offences like desertion. Military offences may be punished with a firing squad. See also capital punishment in India
	Indonesia	2015[110]		n/a	Firing squad. Death penalty for murder; drug trafficking;[39] terrorism. 8 people including overseas nationals executed on 29 April 2015[111]
	Iran	2015[93][112]	743+[93]	n/a	Firing squad; hanging. Iran is second only to China in the number of executions it carries out—executing hundreds every year.[93][106] Death penalty for murder; armed robbery; drug trafficking; kidnapping; rape; child molestation; homosexuality; espionage; terrorism; apostasy, "enmity against God" and "corruption on earth." See also capital punishment in Iran.
	Iraq	2015[113]	61+	n/a	Hanging. Death penalty for murder; endangering national security; distributing drugs; rape; attacks on transport convoys; financing and execution of terrorism.[114] Suspended in June 2003 after 2003 invasion; reinstated August 2004.[115][116] A total of 447 people were executed between then and the end of March 2013, with 129 in 2012 alone.[117]
	Israel	1962		n/a	Hanging; firing squad. Death penalty for crimes against humanity,[118] high treason, genocide, and crimes against the Jewish people during wartime. Only two executions since independence in 1948: accused traitor Meir Tobiansky (posthumously acquitted) and Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann. Abolished for other crimes 1954.
	Japan	2015[119]	3	n/a	Hanging. Treason; robbery; terrorism; murder. Prosecutors push for the death penalty only in the case of multiple murders, or single murder with aggravating circumstances.[120] Judges usually impose death penalty in case of multiple homicides. Between 1946 and 2003 766 people were sentenced to death, 608 of whom were executed. For 40 months from 1989 to 1993 successive ministers of justice refused to authorise executions, which amounted to an informal moratorium. See also capital punishment in Japan.
	Jordan	2015[121]	11	n/a	Death penalty for murder[122]
	Kazakhstan	2003[123]		n/a	Currently capital punishment for terrorism and crimes in wartime.[124] Moratorium since 17 December 2003. Abolished on 30 July 2009 for other crimes.[125] On 28 March 2011 the Presidential Commission for Human Rights in Astana asked the government to abolish capital punishment.[126]
	North Korea	2015[127]	+	n/a	Firing squad, Hanging or Decapitation. North Korea performs public executions. Current laws allow the death penalty for prostitution;[128] "drug transactions"; plots against national sovereignty; terrorism; treason against the Motherland by citizens; treason against the people; murder, Attempted murder, Arson, Kidnapping, rape, insubordination, burglary, illegal entry, assault, hostile acts, smuggling drugs, inappropriate words, armed robbery, grand theft, making illegal international calls without a phone card, illegal pornography, showing disrespectful to Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-Un or even Kim Family, unauthorized religious activity, produce anti propaganda, joining Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or Al-Qaeda in Syria or Iraq.[129]
	South Korea	1997[130]		n/a	Death penalty for murder, rebellion, conspiracy with foreign countries, robbery-homicide and other crimes.[131] There has been an unofficial moratorium on executions since President Kim Dae-jung took office in February 1998.[132]
	Kiribati	*None since independence in 1979		1979
	Kuwait	2013[133]		n/a	Death penalty for drug trafficking; rape; murder; national security crimes[134]
	Kyrgyzstan	*None since independence in 1991		2007	Kyrgyz authorities had extended a moratorium on executions each year since 1998. Abolished by constitution in 2007[135][136]
	Laos	1989		n/a	Death penalty for murder, terrorism, treason[137]
	Lebanon	2004[138]		n/a	Hanging; firing squad. Death penalty for murder[139]
	Macau	19th century		1976	Main article: Capital punishment in Macau It was last used in the 19th century and abolished in 1976 when Portugal abolished the death penalty on all its territories
	Malaysia	2014	2+	n/a	Hanging. Death penalty mandatory for trafficking in dangerous drugs; discharging a firearm in the commission of a scheduled offense; accomplices in case of discharge of firearm; offenses against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's person; murder. Discretionary for kidnapping; consorting with a person carrying or having possession of arms or explosives; waging or attempting to wage war or abetting the waging of war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a Ruler or Yang di-Pertua Negeri[140]
	Maldives	*None since independence in 1965		n/a	Last execution when a colony of Britain was in 1952. Death penalty for murder[141]
	Marshall Islands	*None since independence in 1986		1986	Abolished in 1986 by Constitution
	Mongolia	2008		2012	After two years under an official moratorium, the State Great Khural had in 2012 formally acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights making Mongolia abolitionist. See: capital punishment in Mongolia
	F.S. Micronesia	*None since independence in 1986		1986	Abolished in 1986 by Constitution
	Myanmar	1993		n/a	Death penalty for murder, terrorism, high treason[142]
	Nauru	*None since independence in 1968		n/a	Death penalty for treason; piracy; murder
	Nepal	1979		1997	Abolished 1997 by Constitution.
	New Zealand	1957		2007 (Cook Is.) 1989 (N.Z.)	Abolished in New Zealand in 1989. In 2007 the Cook Islands became the last of New Zealand`s overseas territories to abolish capital punishment. See also capital punishment in New Zealand
	Oman	2007		n/a	Death penalty for murder; drug trafficking[143]
	Pakistan	2015[144]		n/a	Main article: Capital punishment in Pakistan Hanging. Death penalty for murder, drug smuggling, terrorism, rape, unlawful assembly and blasphemy.
	Palau	*None since independence in 1994		1994
	Palestine	2014[145][146]	26+	n/a	Suspected political dissidents, such as accused Israel collaborators, are frequently executed, often in the street, without trial.[147]
	Papua New Guinea	*None since independence in 1975[148]		n/a	Last execution when under Australian administration in November 1954. Treason; piracy; attempted piracy; willful murder. Papua New Guinea voted in 2013 to introduce the death penalty for crimes such as rape, robbery and sorcery-related murder.[149] See also capital punishment in Papua New Guinea.
	Philippines	1999[150]		2006	Abolished in 1987 under the present constitution, re-introduced in 1993, re-abolished on 24 June 2006 under Republic Act No. 9346.
	Qatar	2003[151]		n/a	Death penalty for espionage;[152] threat to national security;[153] apostasy(no recorded executions)
	Samoa	*None since independence in 1962		2004[154]
	Saudi Arabia	2016[155]	100	n/a	Decapitation. Saudi Arabia performs public executions. Current laws allow the death penalty for many violent and nonviolent offenses, including homosexuality, pedophilia, atheism;[156] adultery, murder; apostasy;[157] drug trafficking; rape and armed robbery;[158] drug offenses; witchcraft; sexual misconduct. Method most often used is beheading by a sword. Bodies may be put on public display.
	Singapore	2015[159]	2	n/a	Hanging. Death penalty for murder; kidnapping; treason; certain firearm offenses; trafficking in more than 15 grams of heroin or morphine, 30 grams of cocaine or 500 grams of cannabis[160] See also capital punishment in Singapore
	Solomon Islands	*None since independence in 1978		1978
	Sri Lanka	1976		n/a	Death penalty for murder; perjury causing an innocent person to be executed; rape; drug trafficking. Moratorium since 1976.
	Syria	2013[161]		n/a	Hanging, by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant like Firing Squad or Decapitation. Syria performs public executions. Current laws allow the death penalty for treason; murder; theft; political acts such as bearing arms against Syria in the ranks of the enemy, desertion of the armed forces to the enemy and acts of incitement under martial law or in wartime; violent robbery; rape; membership in the Muslim Brotherhood; drug trafficking
	Taiwan	2015	6	n/a	Shooting. Prior to the execution, the prisoner is injected with strong anaesthetic to leave them completely senseless. See also Capital punishment in Taiwan.
	Tajikistan	2004		n/a	Death penalty for murder with aggravating circumstances; rape with aggravating circumstances; terrorism; biocide; genocide.[162] Moratorium introduced 30 April 2004 by President Emomalii Rahmon
	Thailand	2009[163]		n/a	Death penalty for 35 crimes including regicide; sedition or rebellion; offenses committed against the external security of Thailand; murder or attempted murder of a foreign head of state; bribery; arson; rape; murder; kidnapping; robbery resulting in death. For a full list see here (PDF)
	Timor-Leste	*None since independence in 2002		2002[164]	Death penalty suspended following UN administration in 1999 when still a province of Indonesia. Abolished by constitution 2002.[164]
	Tonga	1982[14]		n/a	Hanging. Death penalty for treason, murder. See capital punishment in Tonga
	Turkmenistan	1997		1999	Abolished 1999 by Constitution.
	Tuvalu	*None since independence in 1978		1978
	United Arab Emirates	2015[165]	1	n/a	Death penalty by firing squad for murder; drug offenses;[166] rape; treason; apostasy; aggravated robbery; terrorism; homosexuality
	Uzbekistan	2005[167]		2008	President Islam Karimov signed a decree on 1 August 2005 that replaced the death penalty with life imprisonment on 1 January 2008[168]
	Vanuatu	*None since independence in 1980		1980
	Vietnam	2014[169]	3+	n/a	Lethal injection. Death penalty for treason; taking action to overthrow the government; espionage; rebellion; banditry; terrorism; sabotage; hijacking; destruction of national security projects; undermining peace; war crimes; crimes against humanity; manufacturing, concealing and trafficking in narcotic substances; murder; rape; robbery; embezzlement; fraud[170]
	Yemen	2014[171]	23+	n/a	Shooting. Yemen performs public executions. Current laws allow the death penalty for murder;[172] adultery;[173] homosexuality;[40][174] apostasy[41] (no recorded executions)

Europe

Of the 49 independent states in Europe that are UN members or have UN Observer status:

• 48 (98%) have abolished it (the most recent in 2012 when Latvia abolished capital punishment in all circumstances).
• 1 (2%), Belarus maintains the death penalty in both law and practice.

Since 1997 to 2015, Belarus has been the only country in Europe to still carry out executions. 2009 and 2015 were the first two years in recorded history when Europe was completely free of executions. This century the following European countries have abolished capital punishment; Ukraine (2000), Malta (2000), Cyprus (2002), Turkey (2004), Moldova (2005), Georgia (2006), Albania (2007), Russia (2009), and Latvia (2012).

Executions in Europe in 2014: Belarus (3)^[175][176]

Note: The tables can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the icon.

Key	Country	Year of last execution	Executions 2014[6]	Year abolished	Notes
	Albania	1995[177]		2007	Ratification of Protocol No. 13 of ECHR took place on 6 February 2007, in effect by 1 June 2007.[178]
	Andorra	1943		1990	Abolished 1990 by Constitution
	Armenia	*None since independence in 1991		1998	Abolished in 1998 by Constitution. The last execution when Armenia was a part of the USSR was on 30 August 1991.
	Austria	1950		1968	Abolished in peacetime 1950. Completely abolished in 1968 by Constitution.
	Azerbaijan	1993		1998
	Belarus	2014[179]	3+[175][176]	n/a	Belarus is the last country in Europe to practice the death penalty. Laws allow capital punishment for acts of aggression; murder of a representative of a foreign state or international organization with the intention to provoke international tension or war; international terrorism; genocide; crimes against the security of humanity; murder with aggravating circumstances; terrorism; terrorist acts; treason that results in loss of life; conspiracy to seize power; sabotage; murder of a police officer; use of weapons of mass destruction; and violations of the laws and customs of war.[180] See Capital punishment in Belarus.
	Belgium	1950		1996	Last execution for common law crimes was in 1863. Last execution for war crimes was in 1950. Abolished 1996 by Penal Code; since 2005 in Constitution.
	Bosnia and Herzegovina	*None since independence in 1992		1998	Last execution when part of Yugoslavia was in 1975. Abolished 1998 by Constitution
	Bulgaria	1989		1998
	Cyprus	1962		2002	Capital punishment for murder abolished in 1983.
	Croatia	*None since independence in 1991		1991	Last capital punishment was performed on January 29, 1987 by the state firing squad while Croatia was still part of SFR Yugoslavia. Last executed convict was Dušan Kosić who killed Čedomir Matijević, his wife Slavica and their two daughters, Dragana and Snježana.[181][182] Capital punishment was abolished in 1990 according to the provision of the new Croatian constitution enected for the SR Croatia. Upon declaring independence in June 1991 newly formed Republic of Croatia declared Constitution from 1990 official and left the jurisdiction of the Yugoslav Federation consequently completely abolishing capital punishment. Death penalty is prohibited by the article 21 of the Croatian Constitution.[183]
	Czech Republic	*None since independence in 1993		1990	Last execution when part of Czechoslovakia was in June 1989. Abolished after the Velvet Revolution 1990 by the amendment to Constitution of Czechoslovakia. Upon independence on 1 January 1993 the Czech Republic became a new abolitionist state. For more info see Capital punishment in the Czech Republic.
	Denmark	1950		1978	Last execution for common law crimes 1892. Last execution for war crimes 1950. Capital punishment was retroactively carried out 1945–50 for crimes related to the German occupation in World War II, repealed in 1951 and confirmed in 1993. A similar rule was active 1952–1978 in the civil penalty law for war crimes committed under extreme circumstances. See Capital punishment in Denmark.
	Estonia	1991		1998	In Estonia the last execution took place on 11 September 1991 when Rein Oruste was shot with a bullet to the back of the head for the crime of murder.
	Finland	1944		1972	Last peacetime execution 1825. Last wartime execution 1944. Capital punishment was abolished for civilian crimes in 1949 (all existing sentences commuted to life imprisonment) and for all crimes 1972. In 1984 the death penalty was explicitly outlawed in the Finnish Constitution. See Capital punishment in Finland.
	France	1977		1981	The death penalty was initially abolished by the Directory in 1795 but re-introduced by Napoleon in 1810. It was re-abolished in law in 1981 and by Constitution in 2007. See Capital punishment in France.
	Georgia	1995[177]		2006	The death penalty was abolished for most offenses in 1997, but the constitution stated that the Supreme Court had the power to impose the death penalty in exceptionally serious cases of "crimes against life". On 27 December 2006, President Mikheil Saakashvili signed into a law a new constitutional amendment totally abolishing the death penalty in all circumstances
	Germany	1949 (West Germany) 1981 (East Germany)		1949 (West Germany) 1987 (East Germany)	Prohibited in West Germany by the Basic Law since 1949. US military authorities carried out an execution on West German territory in 1956. The now defunct GDR abolished the death penalty in 1987, the last execution was held in 1981.
	Greece	1972		2001	Abolished in 1994 (Law 2207/1994) except for high treason in time of war; abolished completely with the Constitutional amendment of 2001
	Hungary	1988		1990	Capital punishment was abolished in 1990 and the last execution was of Vadász Ernő on 14 July 1988 for murder.
	Iceland	*None since independence in 1944[184]		1928[185]	Last execution in 1830 when a colony of Denmark.[184] Abolished in 1928;[185] reintroduction made unconstitutional in 1995 by unanimous vote of Parliament.[186]
	Ireland	1954		1990	See Capital punishment in Ireland. Abolished for most murders in 1964, and for remaining offences in 1990. Last death sentences passed in 1985; all since 1954 commuted to imprisonment. 2001 constitutional referendum prohibits reintroduction, even during state of emergency.
	Italy	1947		1948	On 30 November 1786 the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (then independent, now a part of Italy) became the first state in the modern era to completely abolish the death penalty. The short lived Roman Republic of Feb–July 1849 abolished the death penalty before being overthrown by French troops. When the Kingdom of Italy was formed in 1861 all the constituent states except Tuscany allowed capital punishment until it was abolished from the penal code in 1889 – although it was maintained under military and colonial law. In 1926 Mussolini reintroduced the death penalty into Italian law. It was re-abolished from the penal code in 1944. Art. 27 of the Constitution of the Italian Republic (1948) completely abolished it for all common military and civil crimes during peacetime. The death penalty was still, formally, in force in Italy in the military penal code, only for high treachery against the Republic or only in war theatre perpetrated crimes (though no execution ever took place) until it was abolished completely from there as well, in 1994. Article 27 of Italian Constitution was changed, in 2007, to impede the reintroduction of death penalty in time of war too. See Capital punishment in Italy.
	Latvia	1996		2012	Death penalty abolished for peacetime offenses 1999. Abolished for all crimes 2012.[187]
	Liechtenstein	1785		1987
	Lithuania	1995		1998
	Luxembourg	1949		1979	Abolished by Constitution 1979
	Macedonia	*None since independence in 1991		1991	Last execution when a part of Yugoslavia was in 1988.[177] Abolished by Constitution 1991.
	Malta	*None since independence in 1964		2000	Last execution when a colony of Britain was in 1943. Capital punishment for murder abolished in 1971; part of the military code until 2000.
	Moldova	*None since independence in 1991		2005	Last execution when a part of the USSR was in 1985.[177] On 23 September 2005 the Moldovan Constitutional Court approved constitutional amendments that abolished the death penalty.[188]
	Monaco	1847		1962	Abolished by Constitution 1962
	Montenegro	*None since independence in 2006		1995	Last execution when a part of Yugoslavia was in 1992. Capital punishment abolished by Yugoslavia Federal Republic in 1995. When Montenegro declared independence in 2006 it became an abolitionist state.
	Netherlands	1952		2010 (Neth Antilles) 1982 (Neth)	Last execution for peacetime offences 1860. Abolished for peacetime offences in 1870. Abolished in Netherlands by Constitution 1982. Last Netherlands overseas territory to abolish was Netherlands Antilles in 2010.[189]
	Norway	1948		1979	Abolished for peacetime offences in 1902, last execution for peacetime offences 1876. Last executions of wartime offenders conducted on 37 men convicted of treason or war crimes in WWII in 1945–48.
	Poland	1988		1997	A criminal law reform including reintroduction of death penalty was proposed in 2004 by Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, but lost its first reading vote in the Sejm by 198 to 194 with 14 abstentions. It is said that this was only populism, as Poland was in the European Union and so this initiative hardly had a chance.[39]
	Portugal	1846		1867	Capital Punishment was abolished for political crimes in 1852, civil crimes in 1867 and war crimes in 1911.[190] In 1916, capital punishment was reinstated only for military offenses that occurred in a war against a foreign country and in the theater of war.[191] Capital punishment was completely abolished again in 1976.[192] See Capital punishment in Portugal.
	Romania	1989		1990[193]	The last people to be convicted and executed in Romania were the former dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena Ceaușescu, following the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Their accusations ranged from crimes against humanity to high-treason. Abolished in 1990 and banned by Constitution in 1991.
	Russia	1999 (Chechnya)			Russia retains the death penalty, but the regulations of the Council of Europe prohibit it from carrying out any executions. There have been 4 brief periods when Russia has completely abolished the death penalty, in the 18th century Russian empress Yelizaveta Petrovna abolished it, but it was restored by the Next emperor, Peter III of Russia; then, on 12 March 1917 to 12 July 1917 following the overthrow of the Tsar, 27 October 1917 to 16 June 1918 following the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks, and 1947–1950 after the end of the Second World War (Joseph Stalin abolished it in 1947, but he had restored it back in 1950, and for this short period, the strictest punishment in USSR was penal servitude in GULAG for 25 years). Currently the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation envisages the death penalty for five crimes: murder with aggravating circumstances, assassination attempt against a state or public figure, attempt on the life of a person administering justice or preliminary investigations, attempt on the life of a law-enforcement officer, and genocide.[194] On 16 April 1997 Russia signed the Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, but has yet to ratify it. There has been a moratorium on executions since 1996; no executions in the Russian Federation since August 1996 (except one in 1999 in the Chechen Republic, a former limited recognition state). In November 2009, the Constitutional Court extended the moratorium indefinitely pending ratification of the Sixth Protocol. This has effectively severed death penalty provisions in the Criminal Code. See Capital punishment in Russia.
	San Marino	1468		1865	Capital Punishment was abolished for civil crimes in 1848. The Death penalty was completely abolished for all crimes in 1865.
	Serbia	*None since independence in 2006		1995	Last execution when a part of Yugoslavia was in 1992. Capital punishment abolished by Yugoslavia Federal Republic in 1995. When Serbia became independent in 2006 it became an abolitionist state.
	Slovakia	*None since independence in 1993		1990	Last execution when a part of Czechoslovakia was in 1989. Abolished 1990 by Constitution when still a constituent part of Czechoslovakia. Upon independence on 1 January 1993 Slovakia became a new abolitionist state.
	Slovenia	*None since independence in 1991		1991	Last execution when a part of Yugoslavia was in 1959. Abolished in Slovenian Yugoslav Republic 1989 by Constitution. Upon declaration of independence in 1991 Slovenia removed itself from the jurisdiction of the Federal Yugoslav capital punishment statutes effectively achieving complete abolition.
	Spain	1975		1995	Abolished in 1978 by constitution except for military laws during wartime. Abolished from the military penal code in 1995.[195]
	Sweden	1910		1973	Peacetime offences 1921, Wartime offences 1973. Constitutionally prohibited since 1975. See also capital punishment in Sweden.
	Switzerland	1944		1992	Capital Punishment was abolished in 1874, but reinstated in 1879. It was practiced by a few cantons (nine executions up to 1940). Abolished by popular vote in 1938, except for wartime military crimes, for which it was abolished in 1992. Banned by the 1999 constitution.
	Turkey	1984		2004	Abolished in 2004 by Constitution
	Ukraine	1997[196]		2000[197][198]	Abolished February 2000 after the Constitutional Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional in December 1999.[197][198] New criminal code passed in April 2000.[197][198][199]
	United Kingdom	1977 (Bermuda) 1964 (UK)		2006 (Jersey) 1998 (UK)	Last execution in the UK was in 1964. The last execution on British Overseas Territory occurred in Bermuda in 1977. Abolished for murder in 1969 in Great Britain and 1973 in Northern Ireland. Abolished for all remaining offences (high treason, piracy with violence and offences under military jurisdiction) in UK in 1998. European Convention, Thirteenth Protocol ratified in 2003 confirming total abolition. See Capital punishment in the United Kingdom. The last British Territory or Crown Dependency to completely abolish capital punishment was Jersey on 10 December 2006 (see Capital punishment in Jersey).
	Vatican City	1870 (as Papal States)[200]		1969	Never used within the Vatican and only carried out in the Papal States by local authorities where the sentences were handed out.

Abolition chronology

The table below lists in chronological order the 103 independent states, that are either UN members or have UN observer status, that have completely abolished the death penalty. In the hundred years following the abolition of capital punishment by Venezuela in 1863 only 10 more countries were able to maintain abolition – although more tried but failed to prevent re-instatement after an initial abolition. From the 1960s there has been a growing momentum towards abolition worldwide. In the 1960s 4 countries abolished (a record up to that time for any decade), in the 1970s a limited momentum was achieved when 10 countries abolished, the 1980s saw a further 9 countries abolish, but it was the fall of Communism in 1989 which turned the trickle into a torrent – no fewer than 34 countries abolished in the 1990s, the individual years 1990 and 1998 are especially notable because 8 and 7 countries respectively abolished in those single years. This momentum is continuing as a further 26 countries abolished in the first decade of this century. Since 1985, there have been only four years when no country has abolished the death penalty: 1988, 2003, 2011 and 2013.

Note: Where a country has abolished, re-instated, and abolished again (e.g. Philippines, Switzerland, Portugal) only the later abolition date is included. Countries who have abolished and since reinstated (e.g. Liberia) are not included. Non-independent territories are considered to be under the jurisdiction of their parent country – which leads to unexpectedly late abolition dates for the UK, New Zealand and the Netherlands, where Jersey (UK), the Cook Is (NZ), and the Netherlands Antilles, were the last territories of those states to abolish capital punishment, and all were rather later than the more well known abolitions on the respective mainlands. Defunct countries such as the GDR (East Germany), which abolished capital punishment in 1987 but was dissolved in 1990, are also not included. References are in the continental tables above and not repeated here.

Year abolished	Country	Countries per year	Running total
1863	Venezuela	1	1
1865	San Marino	1	2
1877	Costa Rica	1	3
1903	Panama	1	4
1906	Ecuador	1	5
1907	Uruguay	1	6
1910	Colombia	1	7
1928	Iceland	1	8
1949	Germany  Italy (FR)	1	9
1956	Honduras	1	10
1962	Monaco	1	11
1966	Dominican Republic	1	12
1968	Austria	1	13
1969	Vatican City	1	14
1972	Finland	1	15
1973	Sweden	1	16
1976	Canada  Portugal	2	18
1978	Denmark  Solomon Islands  Tuvalu	3	21
1979	Kiribati  Luxembourg  Nicaragua  Norway	4	25
1980	Vanuatu	1	26
1981	Cape Verde  France	2	28
1982	Netherlands	1	29
1985	Australia	1	30
1986	Marshall Islands  F.S. Micronesia	2	32
1987	Haiti  Liechtenstein  East Germany (GDR)	2	34
1989	Cambodia  New Zealand[201]	2	36
1990	Andorra  Czech Republic+ Slovakia (as Czechoslovakia)  Hungary  Ireland  Mozambique  Namibia  Romania  São Tomé and Príncipe	9	45
1991	Croatia  Macedonia  Slovenia	3	48
1992	Angola  Paraguay   Switzerland	3	51
1993	Guinea-Bissau  Seychelles	3	54
1994	Palau	2	56
1995	Djibouti  Mauritius  South Africa  Spain  Serbia+ Montenegro (as Yugoslavia)	6	62
1996	Belgium	1	63
1997	Nepal  Poland	2	65
1998	Armenia  Azerbaijan  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Bulgaria  Estonia  Lithuania  United Kingdom	7	72
1999	Turkmenistan	1	73
2000	Ivory Coast  Malta  Ukraine	3	76
2001	Greece	1	77
2002	Cyprus  Timor-Leste	2	79
2004	Bhutan  Samoa  Senegal  Turkey	4	83
2005	Mexico  Moldova	2	85
2006	Georgia  Philippines	2	87
2007	Albania  Kyrgyzstan  Rwanda	3	90
2008	Uzbekistan	1	91
2009	Argentina  Burundi  Togo  Bolivia	5	96
2010	Gabon	1	97
2012	Latvia  Benin  Mongolia  Madagascar	4	101
2015	Fiji  Suriname	2	103

See also

• Capital punishment for drug trafficking
• List of most recent executions by jurisdiction
• American Convention on Human Rights
• European Convention on Human Rights
• Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

References

External links

• Amnesty International
• The Death Penalty Worldwide
• Countries retaining death penalty fail to give details of executions – United Nations, 14 July 2005
• Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• European Convention on Human Rights - Protocol 13
• American Convention on Human Rights - Protocol to Abolish the Death Penalty
• Death Penalty in Asia-Pacific
• Monthly updates of world-wide executions
• Hands Off Cain (results may vary)
• Abolition UK
• Death Penalty Worldwide Academic research database on the laws, practice, and statistics of capital punishment for every death penalty country in the world.

Capital punishment Issues Religion and capital punishment Use by country Wrongful execution Capital punishment for drug trafficking Current use Note: Italics indicate countries where capital punishment has not been used in the last ten years or that have a moratorium in effect. Antigua and Barbuda Afghanistan Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belize Botswana China Cuba Dominica Egypt Grenada Guatemala Guyana India Indonesia Iran Iraq Jamaica Japan Jordan Kenya North Korea South Korea Laos Lebanon Malaysia Nigeria Pakistan Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Somalia Sri Lanka St Kitts and Nevis St Lucia St Vincent and the Grenadines Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Tonga Trinidad and Tobago United Arab Emirates United States Vietnam Yemen Past use Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Bhutan Brazil Bulgaria Canada Croatia Cyprus Denmark Ecuador Estonia Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hong Kong Hungary Ireland Israel Italy Luxembourg Liechtenstein Macau Macedonia Mexico Mongolia Netherlands New Zealand Norway Philippines Poland Portugal Romania San Marino Serbia South Africa Spain Suriname Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Uzbekistan Venezuela Methods still in use Crucifixion Decapitation Electrocution Firing squad Forced suicide Gas chamber Hanging Lethal injection Shooting Stoning Methods no longer in use Beasts Bestiarii Damnatio ad bestias Elephant Blood eagle Blowing from a gun Brazen bull Boiling Breaking wheel Burial Burning Crushing Disembowelment Dismemberment Drowning Republican marriage Falling Flaying Garrote Hanged, drawn and quartered Immurement Impalement Ishikozume Mazzatello Sawing Scaphism Slow slicing Suffocation in ash Upright jerker Waist chop Related punishments Civil death Outlaw Extrajudicial killing Related topics Crime Death row Last meal Penology Qiṣāṣ

Capital punishment in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City States with limited recognition Abkhazia Kosovo Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other territories Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Jersey Isle of Man Svalbard Former Czechoslovakia East Germany Soviet Union Yugoslavia Other entities European Union

Capital punishment in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Cyprus East Timor (Timor-Leste) Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus Palestine South Ossetia Taiwan Dependencies and other territories British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Hong Kong Macau

Capital punishment in Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies and other territories Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberanía (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)

Capital punishment in North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Dependencies and other territories Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands

Capital punishment in South America Sovereign states Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Dependencies and other territories Falkland Islands French Guiana South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Capital punishment in Oceania Sovereign states Australia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Associated states of New Zealand Cook Islands Niue Dependencies and other territories American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna

Capital punishment in the United States Articles Federal Government Military Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Washington, D.C. Puerto Rico American Samoa Lists of individuals executed Federal Government Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Michigan Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Washington Wyoming Other List of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on capital punishment List of death row inmates in the United States List of women on death row in the United States List of juvenile offenders executed in the United States since 1976

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