Death Penalty Fast Facts

Here's a look at the death penalty in the United States.

Capital punishment is legal in 27 US states. Six of those states have governor-imposed moratoriums.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 23 people were executed in the United States in 2023. The number of death sentences imposed was 21.

There are 2,331 people on death row in the United States as of January 1, 2023.

Since 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated by the US Supreme Court, states have executed 1,567 people (as of January 26, 2024).

Since 1973, there have been 196 death row exonerations. Thirty of them are from the state of Florida.

The percentage of Americans who favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder has been around 60%-65% since 2019, according to a Pew Research Center study. The April 5-11, 2021, survey finds 60% favor the death penalty for those convicted of murder and 78% agree that there is a risk that innocent people may be put to death.