Highest to Lowest

Donate to WPB

Please use drop down menu 1 to choose the category of data you wish to view, and press 'Go' to load category page. Once the page has reloaded please choose the continent/region from drop down menu 2 and then press 'Apply'.

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 (%)
  Ecuador 34771 186 33.4 6.5 8.1 125.8
  Seychelles 476 389 26.5 7.1 1.3 53.8
  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 18764 250 64.9 5.5 24.4 182.8
  Uganda 79494 153 47.1 4.9 1.8 358.0
  Switzerland 6994 77 48.8 6.3 72.5 94.5
  Portugal 12792 118 22.9 7.1 17.5 100.6
  Albania 4359 162 59.3 1.3 2.8 90.5
  Chile 60888 318 35.4 8.4 3.4 91.3
  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
  Poland 70572 194 11.0 5.3 4.0 84.3
  Georgia 9268 241 20.2 4.4 12.7 75.2
  Czech Republic 19649 178 8.6 9.1 8.5 97.8
  Taiwan 60594 259 7.7 10.1 0.7 100.1
  Peru 101302 294 37.6 5.2 5.3 242.6
  Norway 3044 55 30.0 5.0 28.4 77.0
  Burundi 10777 79 45.7 7.9 1.2 251.0
  Belgium 13018 109 36.2 4.5 41.5 114.1
  Japan 40544 33 15.2 9.1 6.9 47.3
  Estonia 1620 117 20.2 4.9 32.8 56.2
  United Kingdom: Scotland 8145 146 25.3 3.9 7.6 100.9
  Turkey 410135 480 14.2 4.6 4.4 132.9
  Slovenia 1581 74 28.2 5.5 34.0 117.5
  Indonesia 279536 97 20.9 5.0 0.4 189.5
  Mexico 246535 182 39.0 6.0 1.2 109.8
  Colombia 104481 201 18.9 5.9 1.3 128.8
  Nigeria 81746 35 66.1 2.4 0.3 136.7
  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
  United Kingdom: Northern Ireland 2032 105 36.5 4.8 11.3 86.2
  United Kingdom: England & Wales 87334 141 20.0 4.1 12.8 108.1
  Slovakia 8187 151 14.3 7.0 4.1 71.1
  Italy 62728 106 24.0 4.4 31.6 122.3
  Ireland, Republic of 5440 98 18.8 5.0 14.6 116.4
  Guernsey (United Kingdom) 84 127 17.9 4.8 9.7 71.2
  France 84447 124 31.2 3.5 25.1 135.0
  Austria 9524 103 18.8 6.9 52.8 115.3
  Sri Lanka 32645 150 69.0 4.2 1.4 215.6
  Dominican Republic 24933 220 63.8 2.6 6.9 158.4
  Ghana 14023 41 11.2 1.6 7.1 136.6
  Mauritius 2877 225 48.3 7.1 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
  Vanuatu 230 68 16.1 0.0 2.5 106.7
  South Africa 156600 249 38.0 3.0 14.4 148.5
  Rwanda 87621 620 14.0 6.6 0.3 140.7
  Niger 13005 47 64.7 3.1 97.4
  Jersey (United Kingdom) 138 133 28.1 5.1 25.2 69.0
  Argentina 125041 268 38.8 4.1 6.8 120.5
  New Zealand 10680 197 42.9 7.5 3.0 93.8
  Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) 2700 467 31.7 2.9 109.4
  Bangladesh 53831 31 75.6 3.9 0.6 125.5
  Tajikistan 12491 123 14.1 2.9 4.9 61.5
  Kazakhstan 32171 163 20.3 8.2 3.7 62.4
  Guam (USA) 896 513 54.3 3.9 0.0 147.6
  Yemen 4268 14 59.0 1.3 3.2
  Uruguay 15767 449 12.7 7.9 2.8 130.1
  Croatia 4445 115 41.4 5.1 17.5 109.1
  Andorra 51 60 29.5 11.5 60.7 34.5
  Ukraine 44024 130 35.9 5.3 2.1 55.9
  North Macedonia 2555 140 12.3 3.7 7.4 99.3
  Liechtenstein 14 35 83.3 0.0 83.3 70.0
  Iceland 140 35 30.5 9.9 39.7 87.5
  Bulgaria 6378 99 21.5 3.6 3.9 68.7
  Spain 56698 117 17.5 7.1 31.2 74.1
  Morocco 102653 267 37.6 2.5 1.5 158.8
  Gabon 5501 226 70.0 3.5 13.8
  Bahamas 1912 482 37.0 7.4 161.7
  Sweden 10175 96 27.0 6.3 16.7 110.7
  Germany 57955 68 20.8 5.9 39.5 80.1
  Denmark 4083 69 38.8 5.3 29.0 99.4
  Virgin Islands (USA) 261 251 36.4 5.2 15.7 74.1
  Central African Republic 2678 52 65.3 3.9 190.5
  Azerbaijan 24698 244 22.5 2.9 1.9 96.2
  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
  Luxembourg 600 89 48.9 5.5 77.7 60.3
  Latvia 3271 175 23.7 7.7 2.4 67.8
  Armenia 2469 83 53.3 2.6 6.2 55.0
  Northern Mariana Islands (USA) 170 304 5.8 47.8
  Netherlands 11537 64 29.2 4.7 25.2 78.0
  Serbia 10787 162 20.4 4.2 4.1 90.2
  Panama 24484 530 35.0 4.6 10.1 167.8
  Hong Kong (China) 9254 123 40.0 21.5 25.6 74.0
  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
  Belize 1339 312 34.7 3.6 9.1 67.0
  El Salvador 109519 1659 23.1 7.4 1.3 162.8
  San Marino 1 3 100.0 7.1 71.4 50.0
  Montenegro 1046 170 48.3 3.5 17.1 78.5
  Monaco 31 81 46.2 0.0 88.5 34.8
  French Polynesia (France) 575 200 19.0 3.7 102.7
  Canada 35485 90 46.6 7.0 102.2
  Hungary 18270 192 22.8 8.4 4.9 101.5
  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
  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
  Cambodia 45122 257 26.6 6.6 6.5 409.1
  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
  Zimbabwe 20997 133 23.5 3.1 2.5 130.1
  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
  Malta 671 119 43.9 9.1 47.4 91.5
  Greece 10242 98 24.7 5.0 56.8 95.2
  Cyprus (Republic of) 966 103 24.1 9.2 55.2 155.8
  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
  Grenada 385 338 20.4 1.6 3.1 194.4
  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
  Nepal 27550 90 53.0 5.4 5.1 153.7
  Senegal 13185 69 53.8 2.6 9.1 129.7
  Bolivia 31105 252 60.7 6.6 3.3 274.1
  Mali 8670 40 69.0 3.0 223.3
  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska 524 44 20.5 2.1 1.5 39.7
  Finland 2912 52 22.8 7.7 16.9 97.2
  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
  Liberia 3000 55 71.2 2.8 2.0 222.1
  Cuba 90000 794
  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
  St. Lucia 572 308 67.8 2.7 3.0 102.8
  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
  Afghanistan 19000 45 31.3 4.2 0.9 179.9
  Anguilla (United Kingdom) 36 240 45.5 0.0 29.1 91.7
  Virgin Islands (United Kingdom) 114 368 37.0 4.5 81.4
  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
  Tanzania 32671 50 50.0 3.4 3.7 109.0
  Mauritania 2826 57 50.0 2.0 13.4 101.8
  Eswatini/Swaziland 3405 243 24.5 2.9 6.0 120.0
  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
  Maldives 1700 314 14.3 4.3 1.1 125.0
  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
  Lesotho 2216 104 19.5 2.9 0.9 70.6
  Myanmar (formerly Burma) 100324 183 15.1 12.3 0.7 111.5
  Tunisia 23484 196 54.9 3.3 2.5 126.4
  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

Back to top ↑