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The abolition of the death penalty, 1840 to 2025
The year each country abolished the death penalty, according to Amnesty International. At the end of 2025, 145 countries out of 199 had abolished it in law or practice.
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Dates are those of the abolition in force today: a country that brought it back and abolished it again keeps the latest. For Germany, Amnesty uses 1987 (East Germany). In 2025, at least 2,707 known executions in 17 countries, the most since 1981. Lebanon voted to abolish it in August 2026, after this map.
Every country's year
Year of abolition for all crimes, otherwise status at the end of 2025
| Rank | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venezuela | 1863 |
| 2 | San Marino | 1865 |
| 3 | Costa Rica | 1877 |
Source: Amnesty International
