- Country
- Russian Federation
- Ministry responsible
- Ministry of Justice
- Prison administration
- Federal Service for the Implementation of Punishment
- Contact address
-
Zhitnaya street 14, GSP-1, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation
Russia - Telephone
- Fax
- Website
- Head of prison administration
-
Arkady Gostev, Director
Prison population data
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) |
308,000
at March 2026 (national prison administration)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
215
based on an estimated national population of 143.5 million at March 2026 (from Russian Federal State Statistics Service figures)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
28.9%
(March 2026 - prisoners held in pre-trial SIZO institutions or facilities functioning as SIZOs)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
8.9%
(1.11.2022)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) |
0.2%
(1.12.2021 - prisoners in juvenile colonies)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
7.1%
(2020)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions |
872
(March 2022 - 204 pre-trial SIZO institutions, 642 corrective colonies, 8 prisons, 18 juvenile colonies)
|
| Official capacity of prison system |
714,253
(31.1.2021)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) |
67.0%
(31.1.2021)
|
Prison population trend
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1,060,404 | 729 | |
| 980,151 | 675 | |
| 847,004 | 588 | |
| 823,403 | 577 | |
| 883,436 | 622 | |
| 864,197 | 609 | |
| 755,651 | 528 | |
| 677,287 | 471 | |
| 646,085 | 448 | |
| 602,176 | 416 | |
| 523,928 | 363 | |
| 465,896 | 322 |
Prison population total
Prison population rate
- Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
- Female prison population: trend
- Prison population trend up to 2000
Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the recent trend in the pre-trial/remand prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that pre-trial/remand prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the pre-trial/remand population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
| Year | Number in pre-trial/remand imprisonment | Percentage of total prison population | Pre-trial/remand population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 | 232,864 161,810 119,010 117,759 104,220 | 25.2% 19.7% 14.5% 18.2% 21.6% | 160 113 83 80 72 |
| 2026 | 89,000 | 28.9% | 62 |
It should be noted that the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners fluctuates from day to day, month to month and year to year. Consequently the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
Female prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
| Year | Number of female prisoners | Percentage of total prison population | Female prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2002 2006 2010 2015 2020 | 53,683 58,400 67,900 52,495 40,026 | 5.8% 6.7% 8.1% 8.1% 8.1% | 37.0 41.0 47.6 36.4 27.7 |
| 2022 | 39,153 | 8.9% | 27.1 |
The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column).
Prison population trend up to 2000
The figures below give an indication of the prison population trend in the years up to 2000. They supplement the more recent figures that are shown at the foot of the Overview page and in the graphs below.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 1990 1992 1995 1998 2000 | 698,900 722,636 920,685 1,009,863 1,060,404 | 473 487 622 688 729 |
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