---
title: 'UN Report Shows Declining Use of the Death Penalty Worldwide'
description: 'UN Report Shows Declining Use of the Death Penalty Worldwide A report from the Secretary-General to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations…'
canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/un-report-shows-declining-use-of-the-death-penalty-worldwide'
section: news
date: '2005-08-11T18:13:14-04:00'
updated: '2025-03-14T14:53:53-04:00'
source: 'Death Penalty Information Center'
---

UN Report Shows Declining Use of the Death Penalty Worldwide

A report from the **Secretary-General** to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations on the status of the death penalty worldwide shows a declining use of capital punishment:

> The report shows an encouraging trend towards abolition and restriction of the use of capital punishment in most countries. It also shows that much remains to be done in the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of persons facing the death penalty in those countries that retain it.

(Executive Summary).

Over the 5 year period of the survey, 17 fewer countries retained the use of the death penalty.

**Status of the death penalty at the beginning and end of the five-year survey period, 1999-2003**  
**Status of countries**

 **I. Completely abolitionist  
 II. Abolitionist for ordinary crimes  
 III. Retentionist—de facto abolitionist (i.e., no executions in 10 years or an official hold on executions as a prelude to abolition)  
 IV. Retentionist**

 **I. II. III. IV.  
 **1/1/99 70 11 34 79**  **12/31/03 80 12 41 62**    
 The report also lists the **number of executions** by country during 1999-2003 (5 leading countries in bold):

Afghanistan 78   
 Belarus 37-52   
 **China 6,687**   
 **Dem. Rep. Congo 350**   
 Egypt 59+   
 **Iran 604+**  
 Japan 13   
 Jordan 52+  
 Nigeria 4   
 Pakistan 48+   
 **Saudi Arabia 403+**   
 Singapore 138   
 Sudan 53+   
 Taiwan 67   
 Tajikistan 35+  
 Thailand 43   
 Uganda 33   
 **USA 385**   
 Uzbekistan 35+   
 Viet Nam 128+   
 Yemen 144+   
 Zimbabwe 3

([Capital punishment and implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty](http://www.un.org/docs/ecosoc/documents.asp?id=880), Report of the Secretary-General to Economic and Social Council, E/2005/3, Session July 29, 2005).