- Country
- Canada
- Ministry responsible
- Public Safety Canada
- Prison administration
- Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), provincial and territorial correctional services
- Contact address
-
340 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0PQ (CSC), provincial and territorial correctional services
Canada - Telephone
- Fax
- Website
- Head of prison administration
-
Anne Kelly, Commissioner of CSC
Prison population data
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) |
35,485
average for year to 31.3.2023 (Statistics Canada - comprising 34,986 adult prisoners and 499 persons under 18 in youth custody. The figures, at the foot of this table and in the graphs, are for the 12 months ending on 31 March of the year indicated.)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
90
based on an estimated national population of 39.22 million at beginning of October 2022 (Statistics Canada)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
46.6%
(average, year to 31.3.2023)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
7.0%
(December 2021 - adults only)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) |
1.5%
(average, year to March 2021 - young offenders)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions |
216
(2015 - number of adult institutions, of which 43 are federal and 173 are provincial / territorial prisons)
|
| Official capacity of prison system |
38,771
(average, year to 31.3.2015 in adult institutions, of which 15,348 in federal institutions and 23,423 in provincial / territorial institutions)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) |
102.2%
(average, year to 31.3.2015, in adult institutions - 98.8% in federal institutions and 104.4% in provincial / territorial institutions)
|
Prison population trend
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate |
|---|---|---|
| 35,533 | 115 | |
| 35,868 | 114 | |
| 34,365 | 107 | |
| 37,452 | 115 | |
| 39,051 | 117 | |
| 39,916 | 117 | |
| 41,026 | 118 | |
| 40,663 | 114 | |
| 40,770 | 112 | |
| 38,570 | 104 |
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.
CANADA
| Year | Number in pre-trial/remand imprisonment | Percentage of total prison population | Pre-trial/remand population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2000/01 2005/06 2010/11 2015/16 2020/21 | 8,747 11,819 13,990 15,478 13,041 | 24.6% 33.7% 35.0% 37.6% 40.4% | 28 37 41 43 34 |
| 2022/23 | 16,529 | 46.6% | 42 |
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.
CANADA
| Year | Number of female prisoners | Percentage of total prison population | Female prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2000/01 2005/06 2010/11 2014 | 2,601 2,126 4,204 2,727 | 7.3% 6.0% 11.0% 5.6% | 8.5 6.6 12.3 7.7 |
| 2021 | 2,296 | 7.0% | 6.0 |
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.
Canadian figures from 1982-83 onwards are for the 12-month period from 1 April in one year to 31 March of the following year. The figures at the foot of the Overview page and in the graphs are for the 12 months ending on 31 March of the year indicated.
CANADA
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 1916 1920 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1982-83 1986-87 1990-91 1995-96 2000-01 | 5,459 6,004 11,223 10,550 12,951 11,334 16,012 18,048 20,628 24,179 22,329 20,009 23,560 27,406 30,906 33,527 38,548 35,533 | 68 70 110 97 114 91 117 115 115 123 104 86 96 109 118 121 131 115 |
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