International

Abolitionist and Retentionist Countries

 

Information accurate as of December 31, 2022 (Amnesty International

*Malaysia removed the mandatory death penalty for 11 offenses on July 4, 2023.

**Ghana abolished the death penalty for all crimes except treason on July 25, 2023.

TYPE OF COUNTRYNUMBER
Abolitionist
for all Crimes
112
Abolitionist for ordinary
crimes only
9
Abolitionist in practice23
Total abolitionist in law or
practice
144
Retentionist countries55

 

Abolitionist for All Crimes

Countries whose laws do not provide for the death penalty for any crime

ALBANIAGERMANYNORTH MACEDONIA
ANDORRAGREECENORWAY
ANGOLAGUINEAPALAU
ARGENTINAGUINEA-BISSAUPANAMA
ARMENIAHAITIPAPUA NEW GUINEA
AUSTRALIAHOLY SEEPARAGUAY
AUSTRIAHONDURASPHILIPPINES
AZERBAIJANHUNGARYPOLAND
BELGIUMICELANDPORTUGAL
BENINIRELANDROMANIA
BHUTANITALYRWANDA
BOLIVIAKAZAKHSTANSAMOA
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINAKIRIBATISAN MARINO
BULGARIAKOSOVOSAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
BURUNDIKYRGYZSTANSENEGAL
CABO VERDELATVIASERBIA
CAMBODIALIECHTENSTEINSEYCHELLES
CANADALITHUANIASIERRA LEONE
CHADLUXEMBOURGSLOVAKIA
COLOMBIAMADAGASCARSLOVENIA
CONGO (REPUBLIC OF)MALTASOLOMON ISLANDS
COOK ISLANDSMARSHALL ISLANDSSOUTH AFRICA
COSTA RICAMAURITIUSSPAIN
COTE D’IVOIREMEXICOSURINAME
CROATIAMICRONESIA (Federated States)SWEDEN
CYPRUSMOLDOVASWITZERLAND
CZECH REPUBLICMONACOTIMOR-LESTE
DENMARKMONGOLIATOGO
DJIBOUTIMONTENEGROTURKEY
DOMINICAN REPUBLICMOZAMBIQUETURKMENISTAN
ECUADORNAMIBIATUVALU
ESTONIANAURUUKRAINE
FIJINEPALUNITED KINGDOM
FINLANDNETHERLANDSURUGUAY
FRANCENEW ZEALANDUZBEKISTAN
GABONNICARAGUAVANUATU
GEORGIANIUEVENEZUELA

 

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

BRAZILEL SALVADORKAZAKHSTAN
BURKINA FASOGUATEMALAPERU
CHILEISRAEL 

 

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

ALGERIALAOSRUSSIAN FEDERATION
BRUNEI DARUSSALAMLIBERIASOUTH KOREA
CAMEROONMALAWISRI LANKA
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLICMALDIVESTAJIKISTAN
ERITREAMALITANZANIA
ESWATINIMAURITANIATONGA
GHANA**MOROCCOTUNISIA
GRENADAMYANMARZAMBIA
KENYANIGER 

 

Retentionist Countries

Countries which retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes

AFGHANISTANGUYANAQATAR
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDAINDIASAINT KITTS & NEVIS
BAHAMASINDONESIASAINT LUCIA
BAHRAINIRANSAINT VINCENT & GRENADINES
BANGLADESHIRAQSAUDI ARABIA
BARBADOSJAMAICASINGAPORE
BELARUSJAPANSOMALIA
BELIZEJORDANSOUTH SUDAN
BOTSWANAKUWAITSUDAN
CHINALEBANONSYRIA
COMOROSLESOTHOTAIWAN
CONGO (Democratic Republic)LIBYATHAILAND
CUBAMALAYSIA*TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
DOMINICANIGERIAUGANDA
EGYPTNORTH KOREAUNITED ARAB EMIRATES
EQUATORIAL GUINEAOMANUNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ETHIOPIAPAKISTANVIET NAM
GAMBIAPALESTINIAN AUTHORITYYEMEN
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