- Country
- Tunisia
- Ministry responsible
- Ministère de la Justice
- Prison administration
- Direction Générale des Prisons et de la Rééducation
- Contact address
-
Rue 8003 Appartement L, Espace de Tunis Monplaisir, Tunis
Tunisia - Telephone
- Fax
- Website
- Head of prison administration
-
Colonel-Major Sami Ennar, Directeur Général des Prisons
Prison population data
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) |
33,000
at May 2025 (National Authority for the Prevention of Torture)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
267
based on an estimated national population of 12.34 million at May 2025 (from United Nations figures)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
54.9%
(2021)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
3.1%
(January 2024)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) |
0.2%
(2021 - under 18)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
2.5%
(2021)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions |
32
(2020 - 27 prisons, 5 juvenile centres)
|
| Official capacity of prison system |
17,000
(May 2025)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) |
194.1%
(May 2025)
|
Prison population trend
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate |
|---|---|---|
| 23,165 | 252 | |
| c. 26,000 | c. 261 | |
| 26,319 | 250 | |
| 21,000 | 196 | |
| 25,000 | 226 | |
| c. 23,000 | c. 204 | |
| 20,755 | 180 | |
| 22,964 | 194 |
Prison population total
Prison population rate
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.
TUNISIA
| Year | Number in pre-trial/remand imprisonment | Percentage of total prison population | Pre-trial/remand population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2012 2016 | c. 11,000 11,130 | c. 51.6% 52.1% | c. 101 98 |
| 2021 | 12,881 | 54.9% | 108 |
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.
TUNISIA
| Year | Number of female prisoners | Percentage of total prison population | Female prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2011 2015 | 400 615 | 1.9% 2.7% | 3.7 5.5 |
| 2024 | 998 | 3.1% | 8.2 |
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.)
Can you donate to support the WPB?
We receive no external funding for our work in sourcing and compiling prison populations data, hosting the WPB website and keeping it regularly updated with the most recent information available. To help sustain this unique, open access resource
