Use of death penalty around the world dropping In 2012, at least 682 executions were known to have been carried out worldwide, two more than in 2011. At least 1,722 newly imposed death sentences in 58 countries could be confirmed, compared to 1,923 in 63 countries the year before. But Amnesty stressed that its figures do not include the thousands of executions that it believes were carried out in China, where details are shrouded in secrecy. The regression we saw in some countries this year was disappointing, but it does not reverse the worldwide trend against using the death penalty. In many parts of the world, executions are becoming a thing of the past," said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International. Only one in 10 countries in the world carries out executions. China led the top five of countries using the death penalty, followed by Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United States, with Yemen close behind. Methods of executions in 2012 included hanging, beheading, firing squad and lethal injection. In Saudi Arabia, the body of one man executed through beheading was displayed in what is known as "crucifixion." In Japan, three death row inmates were executed in March - followed by another four later in the year - ending a 20-month hiatus in executions there. The United States remains the only country in the Americas to carry out executions - the total number, 43, was the same as in 2011, but only nine states executed in 2012, compared to 13 in 2011. Connecticut became the 17th abolitionist state in April, while a referendum on the abolition of the death penalty was narrowly defeated in California in November.