Death Penalty

Line graph. Americans' views on application of death penalty for a convicted murderer, 1936-2022 trend. Low of 42% in favor of death penalty for murderers in 1966; high of 80% in 1994. In 2022, 55% are in favor of the death penalty for murderers.

Are you in favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder?

	Favor	Not in favor	No opinion
	%	%	%
2022 Oct 3-20	55	42	3
2021 Oct 1-19	54	43	3
2020 Sep 30-Oct 15	55	43	2
2019 Oct 1-13	56	42	2
2018 Oct 1-10	56	41	4
2017 Oct 5-11	55	41	3
2016 Oct 5-9	60	37	3
2015 Oct 7-11	61	37	2
2014 Oct 12-15	63	33	4
2013 Oct 3-6	60	35	5
2012 Dec 19-22	63	32	6
2011 Oct 6-9	61	35	4
2010 Oct 7-10 ^	64	29	6
2009 Oct 1-4	65	31	5
2008 Oct 3-5	64	30	5
2007 Oct 4-7	69	27	4
2006 Oct 9-12	67	28	5
2006 May 5-7 ^	65	28	7
2005 Oct 13-16	64	30	6
2004 Oct 11-14	64	31	5
2003 Oct 6-8	64	32	4
2003 May 19-21	70	28	2
2002 Oct 14-17	70	25	5
2001 Oct 11-14	68	26	6
2001 Feb 19-21 ^	67	25	8
2000 Aug 29-Sep 5	67	28	5
2000 Jun 23-25	66	26	8
2000 Feb 14-15	66	28	6
1999 Feb 8-9	71	22	7
1995 May 11-14	77	13	10
1994 Sep 6-7	80	16	4
1991 Jun 13-16	76	18	6
1988 Sep 25-Oct 1	79	16	5
1988 Sep 9-11	79	16	5
1986 Jan 10-13	70	22	8
1985 Nov 11-18	75	17	8
1985 Jan 11-14	72	20	8
1981 Jan 30-Feb 2	66	25	9
1978 Mar 3-6	62	27	11
1976 Apr 9-12	66	26	8
1972 Nov 10-13	57	32	11
1972 Mar 3-5	50	41	9
1971 Oct 29-Nov 2	49	40	11
1969 Jan 23-28	51	40	9
1967 Jun 2-7	54	38	8
1966 May 19-24	42	47	11
1965 Jan 7-12	45	43	12
1960 Mar 2-7	53	36	11
1957 Aug 29-Sep 4	47	34	18
1956 Mar 29-Apr 3	53	34	13
1953 Nov 1-5	68	25	7
1937 Dec 1-6	60	33	7
^ Asked of a half sample.
Gallup

Next, I'm going to read you a list of issues. Regardless of whether or not you think it should be legal, for each one, please tell me whether you personally believe that in general it is morally acceptable or morally wrong. How about the death penalty?

	Morally acceptable	Morally wrong	Depends (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2022 May 2-22	55	38	6	*
2021 May 3-18	55	40	5	1
2020 May 1-13	54	40	5	1
2019 May 1-12	60	35	5	1
2018 May 1-10	62	33	4	1
2017 May 3-7	58	35	6	2
2016 May 4-8	59	34	6	1
2015 May 6-10	60	33	5	2
2014 May 8-11	61	30	7	3
2013 May 2-7	62	31	5	2
2012 May 3-6	58	34	6	1
2011 May 5-8	65	28	5	2
2010 May 3-6	65	26	7	2
2009 May 7-10	62	30	6	2
2008 May 8-11	62	30	5	3
2007 May 10-13	66	27	5	2
2006 May 8-11	71	22	5	2
2005 May 2-5	70	25	4	1
2004 May 2-4	65	28	5	2
2003 May 5-7	64	31	4	1
2002 May 6-9	65	28	5	2
2001 May 10-14	63	27	8	2
*Less than 0.5%; (vol.) = Volunteered response
Gallup

If you could choose between the following two approaches, which do you think is the better penalty for murder -- [ROTATED: the death penalty (or) life imprisonment, with absolutely no possibility of parole]?

	The death penalty	Life imprisonment	No opinion
	%	%	%
2019 Oct 14-31	36	60	4
2014 Sep 25-30	50	45	5
2010 Oct 7-10 ^	49	46	6
2006 May 5-7 ^	47	48	5
2001 Feb 19-21 ^	54	42	4
2000 Aug 29-Sep 5 ^	49	47	4
2000 Feb 20-21	52	37	11
1999 Feb 8-9 ^	56	38	6
1997 Aug 12-13 ^	61	29	10
1993 Oct 13-18	59	29	12
1992 Mar 30-Apr 5	50	37	13
1991 Jun 13-16	53	35	11
1986 Jan 10-13	55	35	10
1985 Jan 11-14	56	34	10
^ Asked of a half sample
Gallup

In your opinion, is the death penalty imposed -- [ROTATED: too often, about the right amount or not often enough]?

	Too often	Right amount	Not enough	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2018 Oct 1-10	29	28	37	6
2017 Oct 5-11	26	26	39	8
2016 Oct 5-9	26	26	41	7
2015 Oct 7-11	27	27	40	5
2014 Oct 12-15	24	28	40	9
2013 Oct 3-6	22	26	44	9
2011 Oct 6-9	25	27	40	8
2010 Oct 7-10	18	26	49	7
2009 Oct 1-4	20	24	49	7
2008 Oct 3-5	21	23	48	8
2007 Oct 4-7	21	26	49	4
2006 May 8-11	21	25	51	3
2005 May 2-5	20	24	53	3
2004 May 2-4	23	25	48	4
2003 May 5-7	23	26	48	3
2002 May 6-9	22	24	47	7
2001 May 10-14	21	34	38	7
Gallup

Generally speaking, do you believe the death penalty is applied fairly or unfairly in this country today?

	Fairly	Unfairly	No opinion
	%	%	%
2018 Oct 1-10	49	45	6
2017 Oct 5-11	51	43	7
2016 Oct 5-9	50	44	5
2015 Oct 7-11	53	41	6
2014 Oct 12-15	51	42	7
2013 Oct 3-6	52	40	8
2011 Oct 6-9	52	41	6
2010 Oct 7-10	58	36	7
2009 Oct 1-4	57	34	9
2008 Oct 3-5	54	38	8
2007 Oct 4-7	57	38	5
2006 May 8-11	60	35	4
2005 May 2-5	61	35	4
2004 May 2-4	55	39	6
2003 May 5-7	60	37	3
2002 May 6-9	53	40	7
2000 Jun 23-25	51	41	8
Gallup

Why do you favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder? [OPEN-ENDED]

Based on those who favor the death penalty

	2014 Oct 12-15	2003 May 19-21	2001 Feb 19-21	1991 Jun 13-16
	%	%	%	%
An eye for an eye/They took a life/Fits the crime	35	37	48	50
Save taxpayers money/Cost associated with prison	14	11	20	13
They deserve it	14	13	6	--
They will repeat crime/Keep them from repeating it	7	7	6	19
Deterrent for potential crimes/Set an example	6	11	10	13
Depends on the type of crime they commit	5	4	6	--
Fair punishment	4	3	1	--
Serve justice	4	4	1	3
If there's no doubt the person committed the crime	3	3	2	--
Support/believe in death penalty	3	2	6	--
Don't believe they can be rehabilitated	3	2	2	--
Biblical reasons	3	5	3	--
Life sentences don't always mean life in prison	2	1	2	--
Relieves prison overcrowding	2	1	2	--
Would help/benefit families of victims	1	2	1	--
Other	1	4	3	11
No opinion	4	2	1	2
Totals exceed 100% due to multiple mentions
Gallup

Why do you oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder? [OPEN-ENDED]

Based on those opposed to the death penalty

	2014 Oct 12-15	2003 May 19-21	1991 Jun 13-16
	%	%	%
Wrong to take a life	40	46	41
Persons may be wrongly convicted	17	25	11
Punishment should be left to God/religious belief	17	13	17
Need to pay/suffer longer/think about their crime	9	5	--
Depends on the circumstances	9	4	--
Unfair application of death penalty	5	4	6
Does not deter people from committing murder	4	4	7
Costs more to keep prisoners on death row	2	--	--
Possibility of rehabilitation	2	5	6
Other	1	3	16
No opinion	3	4	6
Totals exceed 100% due to multiple mentions
Gallup

Apart from your opinion about the death penalty, what form of punishment do you consider to be the most humane -- the electric chair, the gas chamber, lethal injection, firing squad, or hanging?

	2014 May 8-11	1991 Jan 13-16	1985 Jan 11-14
	%	%	%
Lethal injection	65	67	56
Firing squad	9	3	3
Hanging	5	3	2
Electric chair	4	9	16
Gas chamber	4	6	8
None (vol.)	10	6	7
No opinion	3	5	9
(vol.) = Volunteered response
Gallup

Do you feel that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to the commitment of murder, that it lowers the murder rate, or not?

	Yes, does	No, does not	No opinion
	%	%	%
2011 Oct 6-9	32	64	4
2006 May 8-11	34	64	2
2004 May 2-4	35	62	3
1991 Jun 13-16	51	41	8
1986 Jan 10-13	61	32	7
1985 Jan 11-14	62	31	7
Gallup

How often do you think that a person has been executed under the death penalty who was, in fact, innocent of the crime he or she was charged with -- do you think this has happened in the past five years, or not?

	Yes, has	No, has not	No opinion
	%	%	%
2009 Oct 1-4	59	31	10
2006 May 8-11	63	27	10
2005 May 2-5	59	33	8
2003 May 5-7	73	22	5
Gallup

Just your best guess, about what percent of people who are executed under the death penalty are really innocent of the crime they were charged with?

Based on those who believe an innocent person has been executed in last five years

	2005 May 2-5	2003 May 5-7
	%	%
None	--	*
1%-5%	57	55
6%-10%	14	13
11%-20%	10	8
21%-50%	9	15
More than 50%	2	2
No opinion	8	7
Mean	10.7%	11.7%
Median	5%	5%
* Less than 0.5%
Gallup

Which comes closer to your view -- [ROTATED: states should be allowed to execute prisoners sentenced to the death penalty by means of lethal injection, (or) lethal injection of death row prisoners represents cruel and unusual punishment that should not be permitted]?

	Allow lethal injection	Not permit lethal injection	No opinion
	%	%	%
2004 Mar 26-28	75	21	4
Gallup

Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

	Favor	Oppose	No opinion
	%	%	%
Women
2002 May 6-9	68	29	3
The mentally ill
2002 May 6-9	19	75	6
The mentally retarded
2002 May 6-9	13	82	5
Juveniles
2002 May 6-9	26	69	3
Gallup

Death Penalty

Related Topics Include:

The Five Conditions Assessment

Recommended

Steady 55% of Americans Support Death Penalty for Murderers

Americans Say Birth Control, Divorce Most 'Morally Acceptable'

Death Penalty Support Holding at Five-Decade Low

Changing One's Gender Is Sharply Contentious Moral Issue