Use Of Death Penalty Worldwide

At one time the death penalty was used in almost every part of the globe; but over the last few decades many countries have abolished it. 78 countries still maintain the death penalty in both law and practice. 89 countries have abolished it completely; 11 retain it, but only for crimes committed in exceptional circumstances (such as crimes committed in time of war). 22 other countries maintain laws permitting the use of the death penalty for ordinary crimes, but have allowed the death penalty to fall into disuse. Finally, it is not unknown for countries to practise extrajudicial execution sporadically or systematically outside their own formal legal frameworks. The list is drawn from the Amnesty International website http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty_index_enghttp://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/abret.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777460.html, and the map is based on it.

Legal Form of Punishment

The following countries retain the death penalty as a legal form of punishment as of 2004.
  1. Afghanistan
  2. Antigua and Barbuda
  3. Bahamas
  4. Bahrain
  5. Bangladesh
  6. Barbados
  7. Belarus
  8. Belize
  9. Botswana
  10. Burundi
  11. Cameroon
  12. Chad
  13. People's Republic of China (except Hong Kong and Macao)
  14. Comoros
  15. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  16. Cuba
  17. Dominica
  18. Egypt
  19. Equatorial Guinea
  20. Eritrea
  21. Ethiopia
  22. Gabon
  23. Ghana
  24. Guatemala
  25. Guinea
  26. Guyana
  27. India
  28. Indonesia
  29. Iran
  30. Iraq (Suspended in April 2003 after 2003 invasion; reinstated August 2004)
  31. Jamaica
  32. Japan
  33. Jordan
  34. Kazakstan
  35. North Korea
  36. South Korea
  37. Kuwait
  38. Kyrgyzstan
  39. Laos
  40. Lebanon
  41. Lesotho
  42. Liberia
  43. Libya
  44. Malawi
  45. Malaysia
  46. Mongolia
  47. Morocco
  48. Myanmar
  49. Nigeria
  50. Oman
  51. Pakistan
  52. Palestinian Authority
  53. Philippines
  54. Qatar
  55. Rwanda
  56. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  57. Saint Lucia
  58. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  59. Saudi Arabia
  60. Sierra Leone
  61. Singapore
  62. Somalia
  63. Sudan
  64. Swaziland
  65. Syria
  66. Republic of China (Taiwan)
  67. Tajikistan
  68. Tanzania
  69. Thailand
  70. Trinidad and Tobago
  71. Uganda
  72. United Arab Emirates
  73. United States (Legal in most states, but not all. Legal in all states through federal death penalty)
  74. Uzbekistan
  75. Vietnam
  76. Yemen
  77. Zambia
  78. Zimbabwe

Abolitionist in Practice

The following countries retain the death penalty for common crimes, but they have not executed anyone in 10 years and Amnesty International classifies them as abolitionist in practice (year in parentheses is date of last known execution). The last execution in the Russian Federation was in 1999, but it has committed internationally not to execute.
  1. Algeria (1993)
  2. Benin (1987)
  3. Brunei Darussalam (1957)
  4. Burkina Faso (1988)
  5. Central African Republic (1981)
  6. Republic of the Congo (1982)
  7. The Gambia (1981)
  8. Grenada (1978)
  9. Kenya (1984)
  10. Madagascar (1958)
  11. Maldives (1952)
  12. Mali (1980)
  13. Mauritania (1987)
  14. Nauru (none since indepedence in 1968)
  15. Niger (1976)
  16. Papua New Guinea (1950)
  17. Russian Federation (1999)
  18. Sri Lanka (1976)
  19. Suriname (1982)
  20. Togo
  21. Tonga (1982)
  22. Tunisia (1991)

Abolished for Ordinary Crimes

The following countries have abolished death penalty for common crimes, but it remains on the books for some crimes, such as crimes under military law or other special exceptional circumstances (first year is last known execution, second year is the date of abolition for ordinary crimes).
  1. Albania (not known, 2000)
  2. Argentina (not known, 1984)
  3. Bolivia (1974, 1997)
  4. Brazil (1855, 1979)
  5. Chile (1985, 2001)
  6. Cook Islands
  7. El Salvador (1973, 1983)
  8. Fiji (1964, 1979)
  9. Israel (1962, 1954) — only one execution (Adolf Eichmann), which counted as an extraordinary crime
  10. Latvia (1972, 1999)
  11. Peru (1979, 1979)

Abolished for all crimes

The following countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes (the first year in parentheses is the date of the last known execution followed by the year in which the death penalty was abolished for all crimes):
  1. Andorra (1943, 1990)
  2. Angola (not known, 1992)
  3. Armenia (not known, 2003)
  4. Australia (1967, 1985)
  5. Austria (1950, 1968)
  6. Azerbaijan (1993, 1998)
  7. Belgium (1950, 1996)
  8. Bermuda (1977, 2000)
  9. Bhutan (1964, 2004)
  10. Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997, 2001)
  11. Bulgaria (1989, 1998)
  12. Cambodia (not known, 1989)
  13. Canada (1962, 1998)
  14. Cape Verde (1835, 1981)
  15. Colombia (1909, 1910)
  16. Costa Rica (not known, 1877)
  17. Cte d'Ivoire (not known, 2000)
  18. Croatia (not known, 1990)
  19. Cyprus (1962, 2002)
  20. Czech Republic (1989, 1990 as part of Czechoslovakia)
  21. Denmark (1950, 1978)
  22. Djibouti (none since independence, 1995)
  23. Dominican Republic (not known, 1966)
  24. East Timor or Timor-Leste (not known, 1999)
  25. Ecuador (not known, 1906)
  26. Estonia (1991, 1998)
  27. Finland (1944, 1972)
  28. France (1977, 1981)
  29. Georgia (1994, 1997)
  30. Germany (none since unification, abolished in FRG in 1949 and in GDR 1987)
  31. Greece (1972, 1993)
  32. Guinea-Bissau (1986, 1993)
  33. Haiti (1972, 1987)
  34. Honduras (1940, 1956)
  35. Hong Kong (1966, 1993) (remains so under Chinese rule)
  36. Hungary (1988, 1990)
  37. Iceland (1830, 1928) (reintroduction made unconstitutional in 1995 by unanimous vote of parliament)
  38. Republic of Ireland (1954, 1990), a 2001 referendum made reintroduction unconstitutional.
  39. Italy (1947, 1994)
  40. Kiribati (none since independence, 1979)
  41. Liechtenstein (1785, 1987)
  42. Lithuania (1995, 1998)
  43. Luxembourg (1949, 1979)
  44. Macao (remains so under Chinese rule)
  45. Republic of Macedonia (N/A, 1991)
  46. Malta (1943, 2000)
  47. Marshall Islands (none since indepedence, 1986)
  48. Mauritius (1987, 1995)
  49. Mexico (1937, 2005)
  50. Federated States of Micronesia (none since independence, 1986)
  51. Moldova (not known, 1995)
  52. Monaco (1847, 1962)
  53. Mozambique (1986, 1990)
  54. Namibia (1988, 1990)
  55. Niue
  56. Nepal (1979, 1997)
  57. Netherlands (1952, 1982)
  58. New Zealand (1957, 1989)
  59. Nicaragua (1930, 1979)
  60. Norway (1948, 1979)
  61. Palau (none since indepedence, probably 1994)
  62. Panama (1903, 1903)
  63. Paraguay (1928, 1992)
  64. Poland (1988, 1997)
  65. Portugal (1849, 1976)
  66. Romania (1989, 1989)
  67. Samoa (none since indepedence)
  68. San Marino (1468, 1865)
  69. So Tom and Prncipe (none since independence, 1990)
  70. Senegal (1967, 2004)
  71. Serbia and Montenegro (not known, 2002)
  72. Seychelles (none since independence, 1993)
  73. Slovakia (1989, 1990 as part of Czechoslovakia)
  74. Slovenia (1957, 1989)
  75. Solomon Islands (none since independence, 1966)
  76. South Africa (1991, 1997)
  77. Spain (1975, 1995)
  78. Sweden (1910, 1972)
  79. Switzerland (1944, 1992)
  80. Turkey (1984, 2004)
  81. Turkmenistan (not known, 1999)
  82. Turks and Caicos Islands (not known, 2002)
  83. Tuvalu (none since independence, 1978)
  84. Ukraine (not known, 1999)
  85. United Kingdom (1964, 1998)
  86. Uruguay (not known, 1907)
  87. Vanuatu (none since independence, 1980)
  88. Vatican City (none, 1969)
  89. Venezuela (not known, 1863)

By country

 

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