Singapore reaches record 18 executions in 2026

Singapore has reached a new record for executions in 2026, with 18 hangings carried out so far this year. This surpasses the previous record of 17 deaths recorded in 2025 by non-governmental organizations and the United Nations.

The most recent executions, conducted on August 21, involved a 68-year-old Singaporean citizen and a 34-year-old Malaysian national convicted of drug trafficking. According to the national drug agency, the condemned were provided with legal representation, but their clemency petitions to the President were denied.

To date in 2026, the executed individuals include 13 Singaporean citizens, four Malaysians, and one 79-year-old stateless man. The Singaporean government maintains that capital punishment is necessary for the most serious offenses to protect society, despite international calls from the United Nations to abolish the death penalty for drug-related crimes.