Capital Punishment Around the World

This chart shows use of capital punishment or the death penalty around the world.

In 2010 one more African country, Gabon, abolished the death penalty, bringing the number of abolitionist countries to 96.

More than two-thirds of the countries in the world have now abolished the death penalty in law or practice. The numbers are as follows:

• Abolitionist for all crimes: 96
• Abolitionist for ordinary crimes only: 9
• Abolitionist in practice: 34
• Total abolitionist in law or practice: 139
• Retentionist: 58

     Abolitionist for all crimes: Countries whose laws do not provide for the death penalty for any crime.

     Abolitionist for ordinary crimes only: Countries whose laws provide for the death penalty only for exceptional crimes such as crimes under military law or crimes committed in exceptional circumstances.

     Abolitionist in practice: Countries which retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes such as murder but can be considered abolitionist in practice in that they have not executed anyone during the past 10 years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions. The list also includes countries which have made an international commitment not to use the death penalty.

     Retentionist: Countries and territories that retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes.