A new Pew Research poll indicates that 66% of U.S. adults favor the death penalty for convicted murderers, a six-point increase since April 2021. The survey, conducted July 6-12 among 3,554 adults, also revealed partisan divisions on the issue.
Among those polled, 30% "strongly favor" and 36% "somewhat favor" capital punishment, while 20% "somewhat oppose" and 13% "strongly oppose" it. The current support level is similar to August 2020 figures.
The poll explored public opinion on the death penalty's moral justification and its effectiveness as a deterrent. A substantial 68% of respondents believe capital punishment is morally justified for crimes like murder, with 28% disagreeing. However, opinions diverge on deterrence: 39% agree that the death penalty deters violent crimes, while 59% disagree.
Significant differences emerged along party lines. Eighty-four percent of Republican respondents expressed support for the death penalty, compared to 51% of Democrats. When asked about moral justification, 85% of Republicans agreed, versus 55% of Democrats. The gap on deterrence was even wider, with 55% of Republicans and 25% of Democrats believing it acts as a deterrent.
Public support for the death penalty has fluctuated historically. Support was around 61% in 1936, rising to 68% by 1953 before dipping to a low of 42% in 1966. The Supreme Court effectively suspended the death penalty in 1972, ruling it violated the Eighth Amendment, but reaffirmed its constitutionality in 1976. Support rebounded in the following decades, peaking at 80% in 1994 amid rising concerns about violent crime. Following this peak, support gradually declined through the 2000s and 2010s, settling in the low 50s in the early 2020s.
The current trend reflects efforts by some states and the federal government to increase the use of capital punishment. Last year, 47 inmates were executed across 11 states, an increase from 25 executions in 2024. Florida led with 19 executions, with Governor Ron DeSantis citing it as a deterrent. In 2023, Florida eliminated the requirement for a unanimous jury recommendation for death penalty sentences.
Idaho completed a new execution chamber and designated the firing squad as its preferred method of execution last year. Louisiana carried out its first execution in 15 years in March 2025, using nitrogen gas. Indiana resumed executions in May 2025 after a 15-year hiatus.
At the federal level, former President Trump reversed a Biden-era suspension of federal executions on his first day in office. His administration also explored expanding execution methods and expediting death penalty cases, which currently average nearly 20 years from sentencing to execution, according to Bureau of Justice statistics. The administration pursued the death penalty more aggressively in cases involving the murder of law enforcement officers or crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.