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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 (%)
  Tunisia 33000 267 54.9 3.1 2.5 194.1
  South Africa 166008 260 37.3 3.2 14.9 148.5
  Bangladesh 77291 45 75.6 3.2 0.6 180.2
  New Zealand 10783 199 41.3 7.6 3.0 93.8
  Ecuador 35452 189 33.9 6.7 8.1 132.2
  Seychelles 476 389 26.5 7.1 1.3 53.8
  Guam (USA) 928 530 52.8 3.9 0.0 147.6
  Macau (China) 1314 191 22.4 17.3 72.1 82.8
  Brazil 909067 416 23.6 5.9 0.3 135.6
  Isle of Man (United Kingdom) 160 186 20.2 7.6 1.1 95.8
  Paraguay 19608 259 62.6 5.6 24.4 191.0
  Switzerland 6994 77 48.8 6.3 72.5 94.5
  Nepal 29484 93 53.0 5.4 5.1 184.3
  Uganda 79494 153 47.1 4.9 1.8 358.0
  Portugal 12891 119 22.8 7.1 17.5 101.4
  Albania 4354 162 59.4 1.4 2.4 93.6
  Chile 61073 319 35.6 8.4 3.4 91.3
  Hong Kong (China) 10184 135 40.0 21.5 30.7 74.0
  Belize 1308 302 36.4 1.8 5.9 65.4
  Liberia 3398 60 66.2 2.8 6.6 251.7
  Moldova (Republic of) 5892 255 20.2 5.3 1.9 89.0
  Romania 24628 129 9.2 4.6 1.1 117.3
  Thailand 277475 395 22.5 12.3 3.4 111.7
  Belgium 13018 109 32.6 4.4 41.4 114.1
  Poland 70214 193 10.9 5.3 4.1 83.3
  Norway 3013 54 29.5 4.8 29.4 83.1
  Georgia 9534 247 20.4 4.4 12.9 77.3
  Estonia 1620 117 20.2 4.9 10.5 64.9
  Czech Republic 19626 177 8.6 9.2 8.5 97.7
  Taiwan 61268 261 7.7 10.2 0.7 101.2
  Peru 102493 297 38.1 5.2 5.4 245.4
  Burundi 11368 83 45.2 8.0 1.2 264.7
  Cambodia 57000 320 26.6 6.1 6.5 409.1
  Zimbabwe 23654 147 20.3 3.2 2.5 130.1
  Eswatini/Swaziland 4500 369 24.5 2.9 6.0 171.1
  Japan 40544 33 15.2 9.1 6.9 47.3
  Slovenia 1567 73 39.8 5.1 48.1 116.4
  United Kingdom: Scotland 8223 147 25.2 4.0 7.6 100.3
  Turkey 413780 484 13.9 4.6 4.2 132.9
  Indonesia 281801 98 20.1 5.0 0.4 191.0
  Mexico 248361 184 39.3 6.0 1.2 110.6
  Colombia 104456 201 18.8 5.9 1.3 128.7
  Nigeria 81406 35 65.2 2.4 0.3 136.7
  Lesotho 2600 117 19.5 2.9 0.9 70.6
  Haiti 7613 63 83.0 3.5 302.0
  Martinique (France) 1070 287 37.0 3.6 145.0
  French Guiana/Guyane (France) 1075 321 27.9 6.6 63.0 174.5
  Reunion (France) 1552 168 21.5 3.3 129.9
  Ghana 13949 40 10.9 1.6 7.1 135.9
  Austria 9524 103 18.8 6.9 52.8 115.3
  United Kingdom: Northern Ireland 2128 110 39.3 4.6 10.3 86.1
  Slovakia 8136 150 14.2 7.3 5.2 70.7
  Ireland, Republic of 5577 101 16.8 5.1 15.8 119.4
  Guernsey (United Kingdom) 88 133 20.5 4.5 9.7 65.7
  United Kingdom: England & Wales 88007 142 20.3 4.1 12.3 108.0
  Italy 62569 106 23.8 4.3 31.5 122.0
  France 84951 124 31.6 3.5 24.6 135.9
  Sri Lanka 32747 150 67.9 4.2 1.4 215.6
  Dominican Republic 24846 219 64.5 2.6 6.9 157.9
  Mauritius 2866 224 43.1 7.3 6.4 116.9
  New Caledonia (France) 591 198 12.1 1.0 151.5
  Guadeloupe (France) 958 241 27.0 2.9 154.8
  Mayotte (France) 619 203 56.5 1.3 222.7
  Dominica 260 356 48.1 1.2 9.6 73.0
  Angola 24068 65 48.5 2.5 3.1 106.7
  Sao Tome e Principe 300 129 20.0 4.0 0.8 333.3
  Jersey (United Kingdom) 176 169 28.1 6.5 25.2 88.0
  Niger 15831 55 62.0 3.1 97.4
  Vanuatu 230 68 16.1 0.0 2.5 106.7
  Rwanda 87621 620 14.0 6.6 0.3 140.7
  Argentina 125041 268 38.8 4.1 6.8 120.5
  Senegal 14147 76 48.0 2.6 9.6 329.5
  Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) 2700 467 31.7 1.8 109.4
  Tajikistan 14911 145 9.1 3.1 1.6 61.5
  Maldives 1195 225 24.4 4.0 8.8 125.0
  Kazakhstan 32171 163 20.3 8.2 3.7 62.4
  Yemen 4268 14 59.0 1.3 3.2
  Uruguay 15767 449 12.7 7.9 2.8 130.1
  Ukraine 44024 116 36.5 5.6 1.9 53.9
  Spain 56698 117 17.5 7.1 31.2 73.6
  North Macedonia 2605 142 12.1 3.8 7.1 101.2
  Liechtenstein 8 20 75.0 0.0 83.3 40.0
  Iceland 140 35 32.1 8.6 40.0 87.5
  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska 590 49 22.7 0.8 1.4 44.1
  Andorra 61 71 31.1 9.8 80.3 39.6
  Croatia 4445 115 41.4 5.1 17.5 109.1
  Bulgaria 6378 99 21.5 3.6 3.9 68.7
  Morocco 102653 267 37.6 2.5 1.5 158.8
  Sweden 9748 92 28.3 6.8 16.7 104.9
  Germany 59413 71 26.3 5.6 48.8 82.2
  Azerbaijan 26894 264 24.3 2.9 2.0 102.8
  Denmark 4129 69 35.5 5.3 27.0 93.9
  Bahamas 1357 336 37.0 7.4 161.7
  Gabon 5501 226 70.0 3.5 13.8
  Virgin Islands (USA) 261 251 36.4 5.2 15.7 74.1
  Central African Republic 2678 52 65.3 3.9 190.5
  Serbia 11701 177 21.5 4.1 6.3 97.9
  Luxembourg 613 91 47.3 4.2 75.4 61.6
  Latvia 3271 175 23.7 7.6 3.5 67.8
  Finland 3041 54 25.7 8.0 20.2 102.8
  Armenia 2469 83 53.3 2.8 8.1 55.0
  Palau 66 367 4.1 4.5 6.5 132.8
  Fiji 2276 248 20.6 3.1 1.7 103.5
  Suriname 808 134 32.8 3.1 19.3 102.0
  Cook Islands (New Zealand) 28 156 14.6 8.3 0.0 50.0
  Guinea (Republic of) 5549 38 55.5 3.0 2.7 171.4
  Chad 9589 56 28.8 1.5 1.3 133.4
  Northern Mariana Islands (USA) 170 304 5.8 47.8
  Netherlands 11537 64 29.2 4.7 25.2 78.0
  Montenegro 1047 168 47.4 3.6 16.1 75.2
  San Marino 15 44 100.0 20.0 66.7 125.0
  Monaco 31 81 41.9 3.2 93.5 31.0
  Hungary 18729 196 22.8 8.4 5.0 104.1
  Panama 24484 530 35.0 4.6 10.1 167.8
  Australia 44403 163 40.6 7.7 14.4 112.2
  United States of America 1808100 541 25.8 9.7 6.6 86.1
  Somalia (Federal Republic of) 2799 16
  Kuwait 4500 101 14.6 5.8 13.5 126.2
  El Salvador 109519 1659 23.1 7.4 1.3 162.8
  French Polynesia (France) 575 200 19.0 3.7 102.7
  Canada 35485 90 46.6 7.0 102.2
  Papua New Guinea 5373 57 42.9 4.4 0.4 116.5
  Nauru 38 345 34.2 5.3 6.7 14.0
  Tonga 557 516 33.0 3.8 0.0 81.5
  Lithuania 4551 156 11.8 4.5 3.4 68.4
  Malta 671 119 41.6 6.3 51.9 82.8
  Greece 10203 98 27.6 4.9 54.1 94.7
  Cyprus (Republic of) 997 107 30.8 6.5 57.6 132.2
  Afghanistan 23000 54 52.2 4.3 0.7 179.9
  St. Lucia 579 310 64.4 2.7 1.7 102.8
  Grenada 370 324 20.4 1.6 3.1 205.6
  Solomon Islands 556 74 32.7 2.3 1.0 77.7
  Malaysia 87419 256 33.6 5.4 18.3 106.0
  Cayman Islands (United Kingdom) 258 304 29.6 9.4 32.9 122.8
  Costa Rica 18090 345 17.5 4.4 15.2 120.4
  Singapore 9833 164 12.5 10.2 10.6 79.2
  Benin 19563 144 55.0 3.1 279.5
  Greenland (Denmark) 154 271 24.7 13.8 0.9 100.7
  Faeroe Islands (Denmark) 14 26 50.0 0.0 100.0
  Honduras 19481 188 49.2 6.1 0.6 150.0
  St. Vincent and the Grenadines 404 361 16.1 2.0 3.8 79.8
  Barbados 692 240 54.7 3.0 13.8 61.5
  Zambia 28225 137 20.1 3.3 2.1 265.0
  Mozambique 22000 63 28.1 3.0 1.5 247.9
  Cote d'Ivoire 27149 94 36.2 2.5 30.0 297.1
  Cameroon 34419 118 55.5 2.6 4.9 164.3
  Pakistan 108643 45 70.0 1.6 1.2 163.1
  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Federation 1688 79 21.3 3.2 3.6 82.6
  Puerto Rico (USA) 5798 177 13.1 3.7 55.9
  Sierra Leone 4453 52 51.1 3.5 0.4 178.5
  Lebanon 9254 141 87.1 2.9 36.0 194.4
  Madagascar 30530 101 47.0 5.5 0.1 277.5
  Philippines 171247 149 65.2 9.8 0.3 362.0
  Guyana 2300 288 27.0 2.6 1.5 151.0
  Kenya 60000 103 42.9 4.7 0.6 176.5
  India 573220 41 75.8 4.1 1.1 131.4
  Vietnam 133986 135 11.5 12.1 0.4
  Jordan 20000 194 36.9 2.2 9.9 150.6
  Kosovo/Kosova 1830 99 35.6 2.7 5.7 97.1
  Libya 19103 269 29.0 1.1 12.8 141.6
  Comoros 422 46 43.6 1.6 7.7 161.7
  Guatemala 23361 123 47.2 12.1 3.2 299.4
  Mali 10773 48 71.7 3.4 223.3
  Bolivia 31105 252 60.7 6.6 3.3 274.1
  Democratic Republic of Congo 44536 46 70.0 2.3 322.8
  Israel 19756 217 25.2 1.0 38.9 136.2
  Qatar 2055 69 24.7 2.9 84.8
  Uzbekistan 29000 85 10.0 80.0
  South Sudan 8400 58 28.9 10.9
  Cuba 90000 794
  Virgin Islands (United Kingdom) 132 426 37.0 4.5 155.3
  Tanzania 26802 41 31.4 2.7 5.9 109.0
  Burkina Faso 8911 38 29.0 2.0 4.1 164.9
  Egypt 120000 113 33.3 3.7 1.0 207.3
  Republic of (South) Korea 59088 115 35.6 8.4 5.1 118.2
  Kyrgyzstan 7728 112 20.5 2.9 3.2 61.7
  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
  Anguilla (United Kingdom) 36 240 45.5 0.0 29.1 91.7
  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
  Jamaica 3559 125 22.5 4.0 0.2 87.0
  Mauritania 2826 57 50.0 2.0 13.4 101.8
  Botswana 3971 161 22.5 5.0 21.2 86.0
  Russian Federation 433006 300 25.5 8.9 6.2 67.0
  Gambia 543 22 55.6 2.6 66.7 172.5
  Samoa 358 179 23.2 5.3 0.5 121.2
  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
  American Samoa (USA) 301 538 70.1 9.6 62.2 166.2
  Iraq 73715 179 29.8 2.6 139.2
  Mongolia 5700 166 24.3 4.5 0.4 124.4
  Venezuela 67200 199 62.5 7.8 2.3 163.8
  Equatorial Guinea 500 63 5.0
  Togo 4990 59 60.0 2.6 5.2 183.5
  Algeria 94749 217 19.0 1.5 3.8 119.0
  Malawi 16536 78 17.6 1.1 0.2 236.2
  Namibia 8900 318 54.0 2.9 8.9 75.4
  Laos 11885 166 67.0 13.7
  Myanmar (formerly Burma) 100324 183 15.1 12.3 0.7 111.5
  Guinea Bissau 596 31 67.9 2.6 7.1 102.2
  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
  Djibouti 750 74 35.8 5.0 171.4
  Saudi Arabia 68056 207 48.3 1.9 49.0
  Congo (Republic of) 1388 27 60.0 3.7 616.9
  Brunei Darussalam 636 143 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
  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
  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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