Which countries have the death penalty?
How the death penalty (also searched as capital punishment) is treated in 196 countries, from sources last checked September 2026. Choose a country for its classification, the source, and how its neighbours compare.
- Retained / in use 54 countries (28%), including China, India, United States and Indonesia.
- Not used in practice 23 countries (12%), including Russia, Tanzania, Kenya and South Korea.
- Abolished for ordinary crimes 8 countries (4%), including Brazil, Peru, Burkina Faso and Chile.
- Fully abolished 111 countries (57%), including Mexico, Philippines, Turkey and Germany.
Retained / in use 54
- Afghanistan
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Botswana
- China
- Comoros
- Cuba
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominica
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Guyana
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lesotho
- Libya
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Qatar
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- The Gambia
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Not used in practice 23
Abolished for ordinary crimes 8
Fully abolished 111
- Albania
- Andorra
- Angola
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Madagascar
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Palau
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of the Congo
- Romania
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- San Marino
- São Tomé and Principe
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Zambia
In the United States, state by state
- Alabama
- Retained / in use
- Alaska
- Fully abolished
- Arizona
- Retained / in use
- Arkansas
- Retained / in use
- California
- Not used in practice
- Colorado
- Fully abolished
- Connecticut
- Fully abolished
- Delaware
- Fully abolished
- District of Columbia
- Fully abolished
- Florida
- Retained / in use
- Georgia
- Retained / in use
- Hawaii
- Fully abolished
- Idaho
- Not used in practice
- Illinois
- Fully abolished
- Indiana
- Retained / in use
- Iowa
- Fully abolished
- Kansas
- Not used in practice
- Kentucky
- Not used in practice
- Louisiana
- Retained / in use
- Maine
- Fully abolished
- Maryland
- Fully abolished
- Massachusetts
- Fully abolished
- Michigan
- Fully abolished
- Minnesota
- Fully abolished
- Mississippi
- Retained / in use
- Missouri
- Retained / in use
- Montana
- Not used in practice
- Nebraska
- Retained / in use
- Nevada
- Not used in practice
- New Hampshire
- Fully abolished
- New Jersey
- Fully abolished
- New Mexico
- Fully abolished
- New York
- Fully abolished
- North Carolina
- Not used in practice
- North Dakota
- Fully abolished
- Ohio
- Not used in practice
- Oklahoma
- Retained / in use
- Oregon
- Not used in practice
- Pennsylvania
- Not used in practice
- Rhode Island
- Fully abolished
- South Carolina
- Retained / in use
- South Dakota
- Retained / in use
- Tennessee
- Retained / in use
- Texas
- Retained / in use
- Utah
- Retained / in use
- Vermont
- Fully abolished
- Virginia
- Fully abolished
- Washington
- Fully abolished
- West Virginia
- Fully abolished
- Wisconsin
- Fully abolished
- Wyoming
- Not used in practice
About this data
Compiled from Wikipedia: Capital punishment by country; sources last checked 17 September 2026. The full dataset is available as JSON.
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A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.