Drug offences can attract the death penalty in 36 countries, but only five recorded confirmed executions for drug-related crimes in 2025.
The five countries were China, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, according to Harm Reduction International (HRI).
Iran recorded the highest number of confirmed drug-related executions, followed by Saudi Arabia.
While drug convictions in many countries can result in lengthy prison sentences, some jurisdictions impose capital punishment for certain drug offences and continue to carry out executions.
HRI recorded at least 1,212 drug-related executions worldwide in 2025. However, the actual figure is believed to be higher because countries such as China do not release complete execution statistics.
Here are the five countries where drug-related executions were confirmed in 2025.
1. Iran
HRI recorded at least 955 executions for drug offences in Iran in 2025, representing about 79 per cent of all confirmed drug-related executions globally.
The use of capital punishment for drug offences has risen significantly in the country. HRI described 2025 as a record year, with executions linked to drug offences increasing by 97 per cent compared with the previous year.
2. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia recorded the second-highest number of confirmed drug-related executions in 2025.
HRI documented 240 executions for drug offences, representing a significant increase from the previous year. Drug-related offences accounted for a substantial proportion of the country’s executions.
The rise has further placed Saudi Arabia among the countries known for using capital punishment as part of their approach to tackling drug offences.
Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty for drug trafficking has also affected Nigerians. In 2019, a Nigerian woman was executed after being convicted of drug trafficking.
3. Singapore
Singapore maintains some of the world’s strictest laws against drug trafficking and continues to impose the death penalty for certain drug offences.
According to HRI, 15 of the 17 executions recorded in Singapore in 2025 were linked to drug offences.
The Singaporean government has long defended the use of capital punishment as a deterrent against serious drug trafficking.
4. Kuwait
Kuwait also carried out executions for drug-related offences in 2025.
HRI confirmed two drug-related executions in the country during the year. Although the figure was significantly lower than those recorded in Iran and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait remains among the countries where drug offences can result in the death penalty.
Drug trafficking, smuggling or manufacturing can attract the death penalty or life imprisonment in Kuwait.
5. China
China remains one of the least transparent countries when it comes to execution figures.
The country is widely believed to carry out more executions than any other nation, but its government classifies execution figures as a state secret.
HRI confirmed that people were executed for drug offences in China in 2025, but the organisation could not establish a reliable figure. As a result, China’s actual contribution to the global total could be considerably higher than publicly documented numbers indicate.
Other countries have also been linked to drug-related executions.
HRI says executions are believed to have occurred in North Korea and Vietnam, but strict government secrecy and limited reliable independent information prevented the organisation from confirming a minimum figure for 2025.