CNA Staff, Aug 30, 2025 / 09:00 am
The United States is seeing the highest number of executions in more than a decade, with 30 executions so far in 2025.
CNA has released three new interactive maps to show where each state in the U.S. stands on life issues — the protection of unborn life, assisted suicide, and the death penalty. The maps will be updated as new information on each issue becomes available.
Below is an analysis of the map that shows where each state stands on death penalty laws as of August 2025.
The death penalty in the U.S.
The United States is split on the death penalty, which is also known as capital punishment. Twenty-three states have the death penalty, while 23 states have abolished it. In the remaining four states, executions have been temporarily paused via