| Nation | Executions |
| 1) China | 1,000+ |
| 2) Iran | 314 |
| 3) Iraq | 129 |
| 4) Saudi Arabia | 79* |
| 5) United States | 43 |
| 6) Yemen | 28* |
| 7) Sudan | 19* |
| 8) Afghanistan | 14 |
| 9) Gambia | 9 |
| 10) Japan | 7 |
* Minimum number of executions.
Sources: The list is based on data from 2012 as compiled by Amnesty International and published by the Christian Science Monitor.
Photo by Chi King