Last updated on: 1/29/2024 | Author: ProCon.org

International and American Methods of Execution

According to Amnesty International, 20 countries carried out executions in 2022 and used four methods of execution: beheading, hanging, lethal injection, and shooting.

Within the United States, 18 executions were carried out via lethal injection. Below, find the methods of execution used globally in 2022, as well as which methods of execution are legal in each of the U.S. states and how often each was used between 1977 (when executions resumed after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the death penalty nationally) and 2019.

2022 International Methods of Execution

Beheading

Saudi Arabia

Hanging

Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Myanmar, Singapore, South Sudan, Syria

Lethal Injection

China, United States, Vietnam

Nitrogen Hypoxia

United States

Shooting

Afghanistan, Belarus, China, Kuwait, North Korea, Palestine, Somalia, Yeman


US States Legal Methods of Execution

The U.S. federal government used lethal injection exclusively during the Trump administration, ending a 17-year moratorium on the federal death penalty. The Department of Justice issued a rule in Nov. 2020 allowing federal executions to be carried out “in any manner consistent with [f]ederal law,” including electrocution, lethal gas, and firing squad. As of Sep. 14, 2023, the Biden administration has not executed any prisoners.

Nitrogen hypoxia is a relatively new method of execution and only authorized for use by Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. The method entails a prisoner only inhaling nitrogen, which deprives them of oxygen and causes death. Alabama carried out the nation’s first execution using nitrogen hypoxia on Jan. 25, 2024.

For clarity, we have not included states without the death penalty.

Lethal InjectionElectrocutionLethal GasHangingFiring SquadNitrogen Hypoxia
Alabamaprimary methodbackupbackupnot authorizednot authorizedbackup
Arizonaprimary methodbackupnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Arkansasprimary methodbackupnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
California*primary methodnot authorizedbackupnot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Floridaprimary methodbackupnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Georgiaprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Idahoprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizedbackupnot authorized
Indianaprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Kansasprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Kentuckyprimary methodbackupnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Louisianaprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Mississippiprimary methodbackupbackupnot authorizedbackupbackup
Missouriprimary methodnot authorizedbackupnot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Montanaprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Nebraskaprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Nevadaprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
New Hampshire**primary methodnot authorizednot authorizedbackupnot authorizednot authorized
North Carolinaprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Ohioprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Oklahomaprimary methodbackupbackupnot authorizedbackupbackup
Oregon*primary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Pennsylvania*primary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
South Carolinaprimary methodbackupnot authorizednot authorizedbackupnot authorized
South Dakotaprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Tennesseeprimary methodbackupnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Texasprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorizednot authorized
Utahprimary methodnot authorizednot authorizednot authorizedbackupnot authorized
Wyomingprimary methodnot authorizedbackupnot authorizednot authorizednot authorized

*California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania have governor-imposed statewide moratoriums on the death penalty, though the practice remains legal.

**New Hampshire’s abolition of the death penalty was not applied retroactively. One man remains on death row and may be executed.


Number of Executions by Methods of Execution: 1977-2019

JurisdictionAll methodsLethal InjectionElectrocutionLethal GasHangingFiring Squad
U.S. Total1,5291,3491631133
Federal13130000
Alabama674324000
Arizona37350200
Arkansas31301000
California13110200
Colorado110000
Connecticut 110000
Delaware16150010
Florida995544000
Georgia765323000
Idaho330000
Illinois12120000
Indiana 20173000
Kentucky321000
Louisiana 28820000
Maryland550000
Mississippi 21170400
Missouri 90900000
Montana 330000
Nebraska 413000
Nevada 12110100
New Mexico 110000
North Carolina 43410200
Ohio 56560000
Oklahoma 1121120000
Oregon220000
Pennsylvania330000
South Carolina 43360000
South Dakota 550000
Tennessee 1376000
Texas5705700000
Utah 740003
Virginia 1138231000
Washington 530020
Wyoming110000

Sources:

Amnesty International, “Death Sentences and Executions 2022,” amnesty.org, 2023

Kim Chandler, “Federal Judge Says Alabama Can Conduct Nation’s 1st Execution With Nitrogen Gas; Appeal Planned,” apnews.com, Jan. 10, 2024

Congressional Research Service, “The Federal Death Penalty,” fas.org, Dec. 1, 2020

Idaho Legislature, “House Bill 186,” legislature.idaho.gov (accessed Apr. 3, 2023)

Tracy L. Snell, “Capital Punishment, 2020 –Statistical Tables” bjs.ojp.gov, Dec. 2021

Laurel Wamsley, “With Lethal Injections Harder to Come by, Some States Are Turning to Firing Squads,” npr.org, May 19, 2021