Supporters of capital punishment have long argued that it deters murder. If it did, states that execute would have fewer murders than states that do not. The latest FBI figures show the reverse.
- In 2024, the 27 death penalty states had a combined murder rate of 5.47 per 100,000 residents. The 23 states without it had 3.97.
- That makes the murder rate in death penalty states 38% higher.
- Eight of the ten states with the highest murder rates have the death penalty.
- States still carrying out executions fared worst, at 5.85 per 100,000.
- The gap has held since 1990, when it was just 4%.
The full breakdown, including violent and property crime, the history of the gap, every state’s numbers and what the data can and cannot prove, is on the data page: Does the Death Penalty Deter Murder? The State-by-State Numbers.
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer 2024 estimates; death penalty status per the Death Penalty Information Center, 2026.
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