--- title: 'Countries That Have Abolished the Death Penalty Since 1976' description: 'The death penalty has declined dramatically around the world in recent years. Since 1976, more than 85 nations have abolished the death penalty for all…' canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/policy-issues/policy/international/countries-that-have-abolished-the-death-penalty-since-1976' section: topics date: '2019-02-05T16:47:50-05:00' updated: '2025-05-09T12:39:32-04:00' source: 'Death Penalty Information Center' --- The death penalty has declined dramatically around the world in recent years. Since 1976, more than 85 nations have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, while others have abolished it for ordinary crimes. The table below presents the countries that have abolished the death penalty, in order of the year in which it was abolished. | YEAR | DESCRIPTION | |---|---| | 1976 | **PORTUGAL** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1978 | **DENMARK** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1979 | **LUXEMBOURG**, **NICARAGUA**, and **NORWAY** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. **BRAZIL**, **FIJI**, and **PERU** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 1981 | **FRANCE** and **CAPE VERDE** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1982 | The **NETHERLANDS** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1983 | **CYPRUS** and **EL SALVADOR** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 1984 | **ARGENTINA** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 1985 | **AUSTRALIA** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1987 | **HAITI**, **LIECHTENSTEIN**, and the **GERMAN** **DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC** \[1\] abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1989 | **CAMBODIA**, **NEW ZEALAND**, **ROMANIA**, and **SLOVENIA** \[2\] abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1990 | **ANDORRA**, **CROATIA** \[2\], the **CZECH AND SLOVAK FEDERAL REPUBLIC** \[3\], **HUNGARY**, **IRELAND**, **MOZAMBIQUE**, **NAMIBIA**, and **SAO TOMÉ AND PRíNCIPE** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1992 | **ANGOLA**, **PARAGUAY**, and **SWITZERLAND** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1993 | **GUINEA-BISSAU**, **HONG KONG**,\[4\] and **SEYCHELLES** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. **GREECE** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 1994 | **ITALY** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1995 | **DJIBOUTI**, **MAURITIUS**, **MOLDOVA**, and **SPAIN** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1996 | **BELGIUM** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1997 | **GEORGIA**, **NEPAL**, **POLAND**, and **SOUTH AFRICA** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. **BOLIVIA** and **BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 1998 | **AZERBAIJAN**, **BULGARIA**, **CANADA**, **ESTONIA**, **LITHUANIA**, and the **UNITED KINGDOM** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 1999 | **EAST TIMOR,** **TURKMENISTAN**, and **UKRAINE** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. **LATVIA** \[5\] abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 2000 | **COTE D'IVOIRE** and **MALTA** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. **ALBANIA** \[6\] abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 2001 | **BOSNIA-HEZEGOVINA** \[7\] abolished the death penalty for all crimes. **CHILE** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 2002 | **TURKEY** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. The **FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA** (now two states **SERBIA** and **MONTENEGRO** \[9\]) and **CYPRUS** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2003 | **ARMENIA** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes | | 2004 | **BHUTAN**, **SAMOA**, **SENEGAL**, and **TURKEY** abolished the death penalty for all crimes | | 2005 | **LIBERIA** \[8\] and **MEXICO** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2006 | **PHILIPPINES** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2007 | **ALBANIA** and **RWANDA** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. **KYRGYZSTAN** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 2008 | **UZBEKISTAN**, **CHILE**, and **ARGENTINA** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2009 | **BURUNDI** and **TOGO** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2010 | **GABON** removed the death penalty from its legislation. | | 2012 | **LATVIA** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2013 | **BOLIVIA** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2015 | **CONGO** (Republic), **FIJI**, **MADAGASCAR**, and **SURINAME** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2016 | **BENIN** and **NAURU** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. **GUINEA** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | | 2017 | **GUINEA** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. **KENYA** abolished the mandatory death penalty for murder. | | 2018 | **BURKINA FASO** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2020 | **CHAD** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2021 | **KAZAKHSTAN** and **SIERRA LEONE** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2022 | **PAPUA NEW GUINEA**, the **CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC**, **EQUATORIAL GUINEA**, and **ZAMBIA** abolished the death penalty for all crimes. | | 2024 | **ZIMBABWE** abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes. | #### ***Notes***: 1\. In 1990 the German Democratic Republic became unified with the Federal Republic of Germany, where the death penalty had been abolished in 1949. 2\. Slovenia and Croatia abolished the death penalty while they were still republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The two republics became independent in 1991. 3\. In 1993 the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic divided into two states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 4\. In 1997 Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule as a special administrative region of China. Amnesty International understands that Hong Kong will remain abolitionist. 5\. In 1999 the Latvian parliament voted to ratify Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights, abolishing the death penalty for peacetime offenses. 6\. In 2007 Albania ratified Protocol No. 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights, abolishing the death penalty in all circumstances. In 2000 it had ratified Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights, abolishing the death penalty for peacetime offences. 7\. In 2001 Bosnia-Herzegovina ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, abolishing the death penalty for all crimes. 8\. In 2005 Liberia ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, abolishing the death penalty for all crimes. 9\. Montenegro had already abolished the death penalty in 2002 when it was part of a state union with Serbia. It became an independent member state of the United Nations on 28 June 2006. Its ratification of Protocol No. 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights, abolishing the death penalty in all circumstances, came into effect on 6 June 2006.