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Data shown in the highest to lowest lists are the most recent available but not necessarily from the same date. Please click on each individual country to see the date to which the data refer. As it is not possible to obtain meaningful comparative data on numbers of children in custody in different countries, we do not include juvenile imprisonment data in the highest to lowest lists.

Ranking Title Prison Population Total Prison Population Rate Pre-trial Detainees (%) Female Prisoners (%) Foreign Prisoners (%) Occupancy Level (%)
  Sao Tome e Principe 300 129 20.0 4.0 0.8 333.3
  New Zealand 9508 179 44.1 6.5 3.0 93.8
  Colombia 102220 197 22.4 6.3 1.3 125.0
  Ecuador 32274 175 34.2 5.7 8.1 116.5
  Paraguay 17712 239 67.0 5.2 4.2 171.6
  Switzerland 6881 77 30.2 5.7 72.3 94.9
  Hong Kong (China) 9069 121 37.5 21.0 27.1 74.0
  Panama 23798 522 35.2 4.9 10.1 163.1
  Chile 55448 292 37.3 7.9 3.4 91.3
  Kuwait 4500 101 14.6 5.8 13.5 126.2
  Canada 35485 90 46.6 7.0 102.2
  Mayotte (France) 674 227 56.5 1.3 242.4
  Hungary 18270 192 22.8 8.4 4.9 101.5
  Papua New Guinea 5373 57 42.9 4.4 0.4 116.5
  Nauru 38 345 34.2 5.3 6.7 14.0
  Japan 40881 33 13.4 8.8 7.0 56.6
  Tonga 557 516 33.0 3.8 0.0 81.5
  Lithuania 4551 156 11.8 4.5 3.4 68.4
  New Caledonia (France) 587 199 12.1 1.5 150.5
  French Polynesia (France) 544 190 19.0 4.2 97.1
  Martinique (France) 1024 275 37.0 2.9 138.8
  Guadeloupe (France) 871 218 27.0 1.6 140.7
  French Guiana/Guyane (France) 1040 319 27.9 8.0 63.0 168.8
  Reunion (France) 1407 153 21.5 3.3 117.6
  Seychelles 420 348 29.0 7.4 1.3 53.8
  Australia 41929 157 38.0 7.6 14.4 112.2
  Thailand 274277 391 19.1 12.1 2.9 115.1
  Portugal 12272 117 21.9 7.3 16.9 96.5
  United Kingdom: Scotland 8198 149 26.7 4.2 3.9 97.4
  United Kingdom: Northern Ireland 1904 99 36.0 4.6 10.6 77.8
  United Kingdom: England & Wales 87841 146 18.3 4.2 11.9 110.9
  Turkey 329151 382 14.1 4.2 3.8 117.8
  Slovenia 1815 85 26.9 5.4 29.3 134.8
  Poland 74042 198 11.2 5.1 3.3 87.6
  Norway 3036 55 30.2 4.9 25.8 80.7
  Italy 61297 105 25.6 4.3 31.4 119.8
  Ireland, Republic of 4891 91 19.0 4.8 15.4 108.4
  Guernsey (United Kingdom) 91 137 20.9 6.6 9.7 79.1
  Georgia 10223 269 18.6 3.6 8.7 82.9
  Austria 9161 100 20.7 6.7 53.5 109.1
  Albania 5301 195 57.3 1.2 2.1 88.2
  Taiwan 55972 238 5.5 9.0 0.7 114.8
  Sri Lanka 30721 142 64.7 4.3 1.4 215.6
  Indonesia 263940 93 18.9 4.7 0.4 192.1
  Peru 94579 278 37.0 5.2 4.8 231.0
  Sierra Leone 4453 52 51.1 3.5 0.4 178.5
  Mexico 232859 174 37.9 5.7 1.2 104.9
  Dominican Republic 25280 225 53.9 2.6 7.2 161.0
  Uganda 76493 152 47.4 4.7 1.8 364.3
  Nigeria 80507 35 68.9 2.2 0.3 136.7
  Ghana 14917 44 11.2 1.3 6.6 145.3
  Lebanon 9254 141 87.1 2.9 36.0 194.4
  Cambodia 45122 257 26.6 6.6 3.7 409.1
  Honduras 19500 189 53.7 5.5 0.7 150.0
  Grenada 385 338 20.4 1.6 3.1 194.4
  Mozambique 21814 63 28.1 3.0 1.5 245.8
  Madagascar 30530 101 47.0 5.5 0.1 277.5
  Cote d'Ivoire 25928 91 33.2 2.5 30.0 269.0
  France 75897 111 30.4 4.5 25.0 122.9
  Belgium 12316 104 36.2 4.5 43.4 114.6
  Czech Republic 19796 181 8.0 8.7 8.2 97.3
  Burundi 13511 102 52.7 7.5 1.2 314.6
  Costa Rica 17829 343 16.0 4.8 15.0 120.4
  Slovakia 9717 179 13.9 7.8 2.6 84.1
  Estonia 1805 129 17.2 4.8 33.1 61.9
  Kenya 60000 103 41.0 5.1 0.6 176.5
  Angola 24490 68 48.7 2.5 3.1 122.5
  Morocco 103302 270 41.0 2.4 1.4 154.8
  India 573220 41 75.8 4.1 1.1 131.4
  Dominica 261 348 50.2 1.1 9.2 73.0
  Vietnam 133986 135 11.5 12.1 0.4
  Iceland 140 36 21.1 8.3 23.3 80.0
  Mauritius 2522 197 51.9 6.4 6.4 116.9
  Romania 23608 124 13.0 4.5 1.1 120.6
  Niger 10179 40 61.8 3.1 97.4
  Kosovo/Kosova 1830 99 35.6 2.7 5.7 97.1
  Rwanda 89034 637 14.0 5.4 0.3 138.1
  Libya 19103 269 29.0 1.1 12.8 141.6
  Comoros 422 46 43.6 1.6 7.7 161.7
  Argentina 117810 254 41.7 4.1 4.9 118.5
  South Africa 157056 258 35.6 3.0 10.5 146.0
  Jordan 19140 185 36.9 2.2 9.9 144.0
  Guatemala 23361 123 47.2 12.1 3.2 299.4
  Bangladesh 84851 50 75.6 3.9 0.6 197.9
  Nepal 27550 90 53.0 5.4 5.1 153.7
  Senegal 13185 69 53.8 2.6 9.1 129.7
  Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) 2100 366 31.7 2.9 109.4
  Macau (China) 1339 197 12.7 15.4 72.1 82.8
  Bolivia 25291 209 66.2 6.1 3.3 287.8
  Brazil 839672 390 26.9 5.4 0.3 173.9
  Mali 8670 40 69.0 3.0 223.3
  Uruguay 14965 424 12.7 7.4 2.8 130.1
  Guam (USA) 820 475 54.3 3.9 0.0 155.6
  Croatia 4073 106 32.3 5.9 12.0 100.7
  Spain 54197 113 16.1 7.1 29.1 74.1
  North Macedonia 2525 138 10.7 3.1 7.0 98.1
  Liechtenstein 6 15 100.0 0.0 83.3 30.0
  Bulgaria 6501 101 18.4 3.7 3.7 67.6
  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska 524 44 20.5 2.1 1.5 39.7
  Andorra 60 73 47.1 11.8 70.6 40.5
  Sweden 8635 82 26.9 5.9 22.1 105.0
  Germany 56325 67 20.6 5.6 27.0 77.6
  Azerbaijan 24698 244 25.3 2.8 2.0 96.2
  Fiji 2276 248 19.9 2.5 1.2 103.5
  Democratic Republic of Congo 44536 46 70.0 2.3 322.8
  Israel 19756 217 25.2 1.0 38.9 136.2
  Serbia 10787 162 27.8 4.1 3.8 90.2
  Luxembourg 705 107 46.3 5.4 73.7 77.5
  Latvia 3229 172 25.4 8.4 1.8 67.0
  Finland 2839 51 23.2 7.1 16.3 94.9
  Armenia 2357 79 57.2 2.9 5.4 52.5
  Netherlands 11447 65 32.6 4.6 23.1 90.6
  Northern Mariana Islands (USA) 153 273 5.8 53.8
  United States of America 1767200 531 25.5 8.8 7.3 95.6
  San Marino 3 9 88.9 11.1 11.1 25.0
  Montenegro 1026 166 41.1 3.2 15.1 77.0
  Monaco 27 69 50.0 14.3 92.9 31.0
  Moldova (Republic of) 6084 236 17.1 5.4 1.5 91.9
  Uzbekistan 29000 85 10.0 80.0
  Qatar 1644 58 24.7 4.6 17.2
  South Sudan 8400 58 28.9 10.9
  Liberia 3000 55 71.2 2.8 2.0 222.1
  Cuba 90000 794
  El Salvador 71000 1086 23.1 7.4 1.3 236.7
  Belize 1199 289 36.4 3.0 12.3 57.1
  Malaysia 72437 217 41.7 5.9 18.3 110.2
  Cameroon 32003 116 58.0 2.6 4.9 164.8
  Benin 12000 91 66.6 3.3 213.5
  Malta 690 132 43.9 8.6 47.4 58.7
  St. Lucia 572 308 67.8 2.7 3.0 102.8
  Cayman Islands (United Kingdom) 226 277 29.6 7.2 34.1 122.8
  Aruba (Netherlands) 311 288 57.1 8.4 28.6 68.4
  Antigua and Barbuda 400 400 43.3 5.5 30.6 266.7
  Afghanistan 19000 45 31.3 4.2 0.9 179.9
  Zambia 25372 125 20.1 2.7 2.1 238.2
  Burkina Faso 8800 39 29.9 1.8 4.1 168.3
  Zimbabwe 21619 138 25.0 2.1 2.5 130.1
  St. Vincent and the Grenadines 392 353 24.3 2.8 3.8 79.8
  Greece 10526 101 23.7 4.9 58.6 103.4
  Cyprus (Republic of) 947 103 24.1 9.5 52.1 173.8
  Kyrgyzstan 7633 117 20.5 2.9 3.2 61.7
  Republic of (South) Korea 52940 103 34.9 8.1 5.0 108.1
  Faeroe Islands (Denmark) 12 23 65.9 0.0 87.9
  Greenland (Denmark) 136 241 21.4 13.8 0.9 89.0
  Anguilla (United Kingdom) 36 240 45.5 0.0 29.1 91.7
  Egypt 120000 116 33.3 3.7 1.0
  Pakistan 87712 38 70.0 1.6 1.2 136.8
  Virgin Islands (United Kingdom) 114 368 37.0 4.5 81.4
  Trinidad and Tobago 3802 276 59.7 2.9 0.8 81.8
  St. Kitts and Nevis 160 296 30.5 3.6 2.1 144.0
  Puerto Rico (USA) 7176 221 13.1 3.7 69.7
  Jamaica 3559 125 22.5 4.0 0.2 87.0
  Barbados 743 258 54.7 3.4 13.8 61.5
  Tanzania 32671 50 50.0 3.4 3.7 109.0
  Mauritania 2826 57 50.0 2.0 13.4 101.8
  Eswatini/Swaziland 3405 243 24.5 2.9 6.0 120.0
  Botswana 3971 161 22.5 5.0 21.2 86.0
  Singapore 9536 156 11.3 10.2 10.6 79.2
  Haiti 11778 99 84.6 3.5 302.0
  Guyana 2156 271 27.0 2.8 1.5 151.0
  Russian Federation 433006 300 25.5 8.9 6.2 67.0
  Philippines 180826 162 65.2 9.8 0.3 362.0
  Ukraine 48038 123 35.6 3.9 2.3 54.4
  Vanuatu 195 65 32.3 6.7 2.5 106.7
  Gambia 543 22 55.6 2.6 66.7 172.5
  Samoa 358 179 23.2 5.3 0.5 121.2
  Maldives 1700 314 14.3 4.3 1.1 125.0
  Kazakhstan 35228 184 20.3 7.0 3.7 62.4
  Tajikistan 14000 141 14.1 2.4 4.9 61.5
  Denmark 4106 69 39.3 4.8 26.9 97.4
  Central African Republic 1990 40 84.1 2.3
  Curaçao (Netherlands) 429 261 41.0 2.6 63.9
  Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor) 763 55 23.2 4.1 3.8 173.4
  Solomon Islands 500 79 46.8 1.7 1.0 77.7
  American Samoa (USA) 301 538 70.1 9.6 62.2 166.2
  Iraq 73715 179 29.8 2.6 139.2
  Virgin Islands (USA) 359 345 36.4 5.2 15.7 162.5
  Gabon 5226 228 80.2 2.2
  Venezuela 67200 199 62.5 7.8 2.3 163.8
  Suriname 1000 185 50.0 2.8 19.3 75.2
  Equatorial Guinea 500 63 5.0
  Chad 8700 59 63.4 2.4 1.3 232.3
  Guinea (Republic of) 4375 34 54.2 3.0 2.7 171.4
  Palau 77 428 4.1 3.9 6.5 132.8
  Mongolia 5832 183 24.3 4.5 0.4 124.4
  Togo 4990 59 60.0 2.6 5.2 183.5
  Algeria 94749 217 19.0 1.5 3.8 119.0
  Malawi 16366 76 17.6 1.1 0.2 233.8
  Namibia 8900 318 54.0 2.9 8.9 75.4
  Laos 11885 166 67.0 13.7
  Lesotho 2216 104 19.5 2.9 0.9 70.6
  Myanmar (formerly Burma) 100324 183 15.1 12.3 0.7 111.5
  Isle of Man (United Kingdom) 90 103 20.2 4.4 1.1 65.2
  Tunisia 23484 196 54.9 3.3 2.5 126.4
  Yemen 9719 35 59.0 1.3 3.2
  Guinea Bissau 596 31 67.9 2.6 7.1 102.2
  Jersey (United Kingdom) 146 135 28.1 6.8 25.2 69.5
  Gibraltar (United Kingdom) 92 273 26.8 7.1 33.9 93.9
  Turkmenistan 35000 576 14.0 6.5 0.7 85.0
  China 1690000 119 8.6 0.4
  Sint Maarten (Netherlands) 87 196 18.1 8.0 20.2 96.3
  Bermuda (United Kingdom) 124 200 20.2 2.9 11.5 59.7
  Bahamas 1617 409 37.0 3.1 161.7
  Saudi Arabia 68056 207 48.3 1.9 49.0
  Djibouti 662 71 35.8 5.0 171.4
  Congo (Republic of) 1388 27 60.0 3.7 616.9
  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Federation 1813 83 19.8 3.2 3.6 98.3
  Brunei Darussalam 841 186 7.1 11.9 29.2 143.8
  Iran 189000 228 25.1 3.1 2.9 153.0
  Belarus 32556 345 16.6 10.8 3.1 83.4
  Marshall Islands 35 66 11.4 0.0 97.2
  Cook Islands (New Zealand) 47 224 14.6 8.3 0.0 50.0
  Nicaragua 20918 332 21.4 5.4 2.9 177.6
  Bahrain 3485 234 25.7 4.7 23.7 110.2
  Sudan 21000 52 20.4 1.7 1.0 255.3
  Ethiopia 110000 99 14.9 4.2
  Eritrea
  Kiribati 129 113 5.4 0.8 0.0 112.8
  Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea
  Federal Republic of Somalia
  Oman 1960 46 5.6 4.5 30.3
  Tuvalu 11 110 0.0 0.0 0.0
  Micronesia, Federated States of 132 127 16.7 0.0 88.0
  Bhutan 1119 145 4.3 6.8
  United Arab Emirates 9826 104 38.2 11.7 87.8 158.9
  Syria 10599 60 50.5 7.4 7.3 65.6

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