China executed 2,400 people in 2013 - more than the rest of the world combined - according to estimates released by the Dui Hua foundation.

The data, charted by Statista, offer a rare insight into the death penalty in China, as Amnesty International stopped publishing data about China in 2009 due to the culture of secrecy in the country. Dui Hua, who have offices in Hong Kong and San Francisco say their estimate is based "on data points published in Southern Weekly [one of the biggest newspapers in China] that are consistent with information provided to Dui Hua by a judicial official earlier this year."

The findings come shortly after Amnesty International released their own data on executions showing Saudi Arabia executed at least 79 people in 2013, while Iran executed 369 people. The United States executed 39 people.

According to Amnesty 778 people were executed across the world last year - which means if Dui Hua's figures are accurate China executed three times as many people than everyone in the world combined last year.