US poll shows death penalty lost majority support for first time since 1971

Support for capital punishment has been declining in the US for years over concerns such as fairness and racial bias.Published On 10 Nov 202610 Nov 2026A new Gallup poll has found that support for the death penalty in the United States has fallen below 50 percent, marking the first time that the controversial practice has lost majority support since 1971.The poll released on Tuesday found that 49 percent of people said they are in favour of capital punishment for those convicted of murder, the lowest level since 1966, while 45 percent say they are opposed.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3California governor commutes sentences of more than 500 people on death rowlist 2 of 3Pope says death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as US plans to livestream executionlist 3 of 3Christa Pike case underscores prevalence of botched executions in USend of list“While statistically similar to last year’s 52 percent, the latest update marks the first time support has been below the majority level since 1971, when it was also at 49 percent,” Gallup said in a statement.Support for the death penalty has been declining for decades amid concerns about issues of fairness, racial bias, high costs, botched...