Amnesty International has stated its alarm at the number of people executed across the world last year.
The organisation, which is calling for the abolition of the death penalty, found executions had peaked at the second highest level for 25 years.
At least 3,797 people were executed in 25 countries in 2004; at least 7,395 people were sentenced to death in 64 countries.
This was the highest rate since 1996, according to Amnesty's annual research. Just four countries accounted for 97 per cent of all executions. China executed at least 3,400 people, Iran executed at least 159, Vietnam at least 64 and the United States 59 people.
Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen
China refuses to give official figures for executions, but in March 2004 a delegate at the National People's congress said that "nearly 10,000" people are executed each year in China.
Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: "This is an alarming rise in executions and the figures uncovered from China are genuinely frightening. "And what is more, these executions are believed to be only the tip of the iceberg, with many countries continuing to execute people in secret.
"The death penalty is cruel and unnecessary, does not deter crime and runs the risk of killing the wrongly convicted. It is time to consign the death penalty to the dustbin of history."
Amnesty International's report focuses on executions of child offenders. These are illegal under international law yet in 2004 Iran allowed the execution of three child offenders, including a 16-year-old girl - Atefeh Rajabi - who was publicly hanged in the street for "acts incompatible with chastity", Amnesty claimed.
The report also looks at progress on the death penalty.
In March this year the Supreme Court ruled that imposing death sentences against child offenders contravened the US constitution. This move meant that all countries have now formally rejected the application of the death penalty to child offenders, Amnesty said.
Amnesty International's report noted moves towards global abolition of the death penalty. Five countries abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 2004 - Bhutan, Greece, Samoa, Senegal and Turkey.
This means that in total 120 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice.