U.S. executions fall to 25-year low

By Kelly Cohen, Kelly Cohen

Published December 20, 2015

The number of people executed in 2015 reached its lowest number in a quarter century, according to a new study.

A new study released by the Death Penalty Information Center found that 28 people were executed this year, the lowest since 1991. Those executions took place in six states, and the majority happened in just three states — Texas (13), Missouri (six) and Georgia (five).

This year was the first time in 24 years that the number of executions was below 30.

"The use of the death penalty is becoming increasingly rare and increasingly isolated in the United States," Robert Dunham, DPIC's executive director, said in a statement. "These are not just annual blips in statistics, but reflect a broad change in attitudes about capital punishment across the country."