Over 1,500 people were killed in state executions in 2024, with Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia responsible for the majority of deaths, according to a report by Amnesty International. Iran alone was responsible for 972 executions. The report also highlighted that the death penalty was used to silence critics of the state or political dissidents. Despite the high number of executions, fewer countries than ever before are using the death sentence, with 113 countries fully abolitionist and 145 having abolished the death penalty in law or practice.