International

Abolitionist and Retentionist Countries

Information accu­rate as of December 31, 2023 (Amnesty International

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

TYPE OF COUNTRY
Abolitionist
for all Crimes
NUMBER112
Abolitionist for ordi­nary
crimes only
NUMBER9
Abolitionist in practice
NUMBER23
Total abo­li­tion­ist in law or
prac­tice
NUMBER144
Retentionist coun­tries
NUMBER55
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

ALBANIA
ANDORRA
GERMANYGREECE
NORTH MACEDONIANORWAY
ANGOLA
GERMANYGUINEA
NORTH MACEDONIAPALAU
ARGENTINA
GERMANYGUINEA-BISSAU
NORTH MACEDONIAPANAMA
ARMENIA
GERMANYHAITI
NORTH MACEDONIAPAPUA NEW GUINEA
AUSTRALIA
GERMANYHOLY SEE
NORTH MACEDONIAPARAGUAY
AUSTRIA
GERMANYHONDURAS
NORTH MACEDONIAPHILIPPINES
AZERBAIJAN
GERMANYHUNGARY
NORTH MACEDONIAPOLAND
BELGIUM
GERMANYICELAND
NORTH MACEDONIAPORTUGAL
BENIN
GERMANYIRELAND
NORTH MACEDONIAROMANIA
BHUTAN
GERMANYITALY
NORTH MACEDONIARWANDA
BOLIVIA
GERMANYKAZAKHSTAN
NORTH MACEDONIASAMOA
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
GERMANYKIRIBATI
NORTH MACEDONIASAN MARINO
BULGARIA
GERMANYKOSOVO
NORTH MACEDONIASAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
BURUNDI
GERMANYKYRGYZSTAN
NORTH MACEDONIASENEGAL
CABO VERDE
GERMANYLATVIA
NORTH MACEDONIASERBIA
CAMBODIA
GERMANYLIECHTENSTEIN
NORTH MACEDONIASEYCHELLES
CANADA
GERMANYLITHUANIA
NORTH MACEDONIASIERRA LEONE
CHAD
GERMANYLUXEMBOURG
NORTH MACEDONIASLOVAKIA
COLOMBIA
GERMANYMADAGASCAR
NORTH MACEDONIASLOVENIA
CONGO (REPUBLIC OF)
GERMANYMALTA
NORTH MACEDONIASOLOMON ISLANDS
COOK ISLANDS
GERMANYMARSHALL ISLANDS
NORTH MACEDONIASOUTH AFRICA
COSTA RICA
GERMANYMAURITIUS
NORTH MACEDONIASPAIN
COTE D’IVOIRE
GERMANYMEXICO
NORTH MACEDONIASURINAME
CROATIA
GERMANYMICRONESIA (Federated States)
NORTH MACEDONIASWEDEN
CYPRUS
GERMANYMOLDOVA
NORTH MACEDONIASWITZERLAND
CZECH REPUBLIC
GERMANYMONACO
NORTH MACEDONIATIMOR-LESTE
DENMARK
GERMANYMONGOLIA
NORTH MACEDONIATOGO
DJIBOUTI
GERMANYMONTENEGRO
NORTH MACEDONIATURKEY
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
GERMANYMOZAMBIQUE
NORTH MACEDONIATURKMENISTAN
ECUADOR
GERMANYNAMIBIA
NORTH MACEDONIATUVALU
ESTONIA
GERMANYNAURU
NORTH MACEDONIAUKRAINE
FIJI
GERMANYNEPAL
NORTH MACEDONIAUNITED KINGDOM
FINLAND
GERMANYNETHERLANDS
NORTH MACEDONIAURUGUAY
FRANCE
GERMANYNEW ZEALAND
NORTH MACEDONIAUZBEKISTAN
GABON
GERMANYNICARAGUA
NORTH MACEDONIAVANUATU
GEORGIA
GERMANYNIUE
NORTH MACEDONIAVENEZUELA
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

BRAZIL
BURKINA FASO
EL SALVADORGUATEMALA
KAZAKHSTANPERU
CHILE
EL SALVADORISRAEL
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

ALGERIA
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
LAOSLIBERIA
RUSSIAN FEDERATIONSOUTH KOREA
CAMEROON
LAOSMALAWI
RUSSIAN FEDERATIONSRI LANKA
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
LAOSMALDIVES
RUSSIAN FEDERATIONTAJIKISTAN
ERITREA
LAOSMALI
RUSSIAN FEDERATIONTANZANIA
ESWATINI
LAOSMAURITANIA
RUSSIAN FEDERATIONTONGA
GHANA**
LAOSMOROCCO/​WESTERN SAHARA
RUSSIAN FEDERATIONTUNISIA
GRENADA
LAOSMYANMAR
RUSSIAN FEDERATIONZAMBIA
KENYA
LAOSNIGER
ALGERIALAOSRUSSIAN FEDERATION
BRUNEI DARUSSALAMLIBERIASOUTH KOREA
CAMEROONMALAWISRI LANKA
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLICMALDIVESTAJIKISTAN
ERITREAMALITANZANIA
ESWATINIMAURITANIATONGA
GHANA**MOROCCO/​WESTERN SAHARATUNISIA
GRENADAMYANMARZAMBIA
KENYANIGER

Retentionist Countries

Countries which retain the death penal­ty for ordinary crimes

AFGHANISTAN
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
GUYANAINDIA
QATARSAINT KITTS & NEVIS
BAHAMAS
GUYANAINDONESIA
QATARSAINT LUCIA
BAHRAIN
GUYANAIRAN
QATARSAINT VINCENT & GRENADINES
BANGLADESH
GUYANAIRAQ
QATARSAUDI ARABIA
BARBADOS
GUYANAJAMAICA
QATARSINGAPORE
BELARUS
GUYANAJAPAN
QATARSOMALIA
BELIZE
GUYANAJORDAN
QATARSOUTH SUDAN
BOTSWANA
GUYANAKUWAIT
QATARSUDAN
CHINA
GUYANALEBANON
QATARSYRIA
COMOROS
GUYANALESOTHO
QATARTAIWAN
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
GUYANALIBYA
QATARTHAILAND
CUBA
GUYANAMALAYSIA*
QATARTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
DOMINICA
GUYANANIGERIA
QATARUGANDA
EGYPT
GUYANANORTH KOREA
QATARUNITED ARAB EMIRATES
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
GUYANAOMAN
QATARUNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ETHIOPIA
GUYANAPAKISTAN
QATARVIETNAM
GAMBIA
GUYANAPALESTINE (state of)
QATARYEMEN
QATARZIMBABWE
AFGHANISTANGUYANAQATAR
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDAINDIASAINT KITTS & NEVIS
BAHAMASINDONESIASAINT LUCIA
BAHRAINIRANSAINT VINCENT & GRENADINES
BANGLADESHIRAQSAUDI ARABIA
BARBADOSJAMAICASINGAPORE
BELARUSJAPANSOMALIA
BELIZEJORDANSOUTH SUDAN
BOTSWANAKUWAITSUDAN
CHINALEBANONSYRIA
COMOROSLESOTHOTAIWAN
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGOLIBYATHAILAND
CUBAMALAYSIA*TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
DOMINICANIGERIAUGANDA
EGYPTNORTH KOREAUNITED ARAB EMIRATES
EQUATORIAL GUINEAOMANUNITED STATES OF AMERICA
ETHIOPIAPAKISTANVIETNAM
GAMBIAPALESTINE (state of)YEMEN
ZIMBABWE