CountryLaos
Ministry responsible
Ministry of Public Security
Prison administration
Department of Prisons and Rehabilitation
Contact address
Nongbone Road, Xaysettha district, Vientiane muncipality, Laos
Head of prison administration (and title)
(Colonel) Savaeng Phomaly
Director
Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)
11 885
at June 2018 (national prison administration, via UN Human Rights Committee)
Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)
166
based on an estimated national population of 7.15 million at June 2018 (from United Nations figures)
Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population)
Circa
67.0%
(2016)
Female prisoners (percentage of prison population)
13.7%
(June 2018)
Number of establishments / institutions
19
(2016)
Prison population trend
(year, prison population total, prison population rate)
2004 4,020 70
2011 c 6,000 c 94
2016 8,201 119
2004 4,020 70
2011 c 6,000 c 94
2016 8,201 119

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. 

                                              LAOS

Year

Number of
female
prisoners

Percentage
of total
prison population

Female prison
population rate
(per 100,000 of
national population)

2004
2016

421
1,503

10.5%
18.3%

7.3
21.8

2018

1,628

13.7%

22.8

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.)