- Country
- Philippines
- Ministry responsible
- a) Department of Interior and Local Government (jails for pre-trial & short sentences); b) Department of Justice (national prisons for sentences over 3 years); c) Department of Social Welfare & Development (centres for children in conflict with the law)
- Prison administration
- a) Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP); b) Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
- Contact address
-
a) 144 Juco Building, Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City, b) Bureau of Corrections, NBP Reservation, Muntinlupa City 1776
Philippines - Telephone
- Head of prison administration
-
a) Allan Sullano Iral; b) Gregorio Catapang Jr, a) Chief, BJMP; b) Director General, BuCor.
Prison population data
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) |
171,247
at 1.6.24 (53,397 in BuCor prisons, 117,850 in BJMP jails) (national prison administration)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
149
based on an estimated national population of 115.29 million at beginning of June 2024 (from United Nations figures)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
65.2%
(September 2022)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
9.8%
(mid-2021)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) |
1.0%
(2016 - under 18)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
0.2%
(2019)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions |
440
(2021 - 7 national prisons, 433 jails; another 37 jails are ‘non-operational’)
|
| Official capacity of prison system |
Circac. 45,730
(31.5.2021 - 1,981 in prisons, c. 33,750 in jails)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) |
Circac. 362.0%
(31.5.2021 - 403% in prisons, c. 348% in jails)
|
Prison population trend
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate |
|---|---|---|
| 79,299 | 102 | |
| 67,968 | 83 | |
| 83,501 | 99 | |
| 91,200 | 104 | |
| 94,961 | 105 | |
| 95,390 | 103 | |
| 106,323 | 111 | |
| 120,076 | 121 | |
| 170,543 | 167 | |
| 188,278 | 179 | |
| 165,583 | 151 |
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.
PHILIPPINES
| Year | Number in pre-trial/remand imprisonment | Percentage of total prison population | Pre-trial/remand population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2001 2005 2010 2015 2018 | 35,961 58,431 c. 56,325 96,402 141,422 | 56.9% 64.6% c. 59.0% 69.1% 75.1% | 45 68 c. 60 96 134 |
| 2022 | 117,954 | 65.2% | 105 |
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.
PHILIPPINES
| Year | Number of female prisoners | Percentage of total prison population | Female prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2001 2005 2010 2015 2018 | 3,324 7,076 7,726 9,188 21,349 | 5.3% 7.8% 8.1% 6.6% 11.0% | 4.2 8.3 8.3 9.1 20.3 |
| 2021 | 16,439 | 9.8% | 14.9 |
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.
PHILIPPINES
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 1990 1993 1999 2000 | 28,149 35,864 70,383 79,299 | 45 53 92 102 |
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