Capital punishment in Taiwan

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in Taiwan. The list of capital offences for which the death penalty can be imposed includes murder, treason, drug trafficking, piracy, terrorism, and especially serious cases of robbery, rape, and kidnapping, as well as military offences such as desertion during wartime. In practice, however, all executions in Taiwan since the early 2000s have been for murder.

Before 2000, Taiwan had a relatively high execution rate, when strict laws surrounding capital punishment were still in effect. However, controversial legal cases during the 1990s and changing attitudes among officials towards the abolition of the death penalty led to a significant drop in the number of executions, with only three in 2005 and none between 2006 and 2009. Executions resumed in 2010, and according to polls, more than 80% of Taiwanese people support the continued use of capital punishment.

A 2024 poll found that 84% of Taiwanese oppose the abolition of the death penalty.