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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 (%)
  Tunisia 33000 267 54.9 3.1 2.5 194.1
  India 530333 37 73.5 4.1 1.3 120.8
  South Africa 166008 260 37.3 3.2 14.9 148.5
  Bangladesh 78894 46 73.1 2.5 0.6 182.8
  Ecuador 36980 196 35.8 7.2 9.8 137.9
  New Zealand 10860 199 40.4 7.7 3.0 93.8
  Sint Maarten (Netherlands) 87 196 33.7 8.0 20.2 96.5
  Seychelles 482 392 24.5 6.6 1.3 53.8
  Macau (China) 1267 185 22.4 17.4 66.0 82.8
  Guam (USA) 928 530 52.8 3.9 0.0 147.6
  Brazil 909067 416 23.6 5.9 0.3 135.6
  Spain 59226 121 17.7 7.0 32.7 73.6
  Isle of Man (United Kingdom) 160 186 20.2 7.6 1.1 95.8
  Paraguay 19624 259 60.8 5.7 24.4 188.1
  Curaçao (Netherlands) 434 262 41.7 3.0 98.6
  Uganda 78052 148 45.7 4.9 1.8 336.7
  Switzerland 6994 77 48.8 6.3 72.5 94.5
  Nepal 29484 93 53.0 5.4 5.1 184.3
  Hong Kong (China) 10520 139 40.0 21.5 31.0 74.0
  Portugal 13127 121 24.3 7.1 18.0 103.3
  Albania 4523 193 58.7 1.4 2.4 93.6
  Panama 24619 528 35.2 4.3 7.0 167.5
  Chile 62770 327 35.8 8.2 14.2 91.3
  United States of America 1833700 542 25.5 9.8 6.6 86.1
  Belize 1308 302 36.4 1.8 5.9 65.4
  Liberia 3398 60 66.2 2.8 6.6 251.7
  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
  Cyprus (Republic of) 1123 114 26.0 7.3 57.6 123.3
  Belgium 13483 113 32.6 4.4 41.4 121.5
  Cayman Islands (United Kingdom) 249 280 29.6 9.5 33.7 122.8
  Poland 69558 191 11.2 5.5 4.2 82.4
  Georgia 10758 278 23.3 4.8 13.9 87.2
  Estonia 1620 118 24.1 4.6 10.5 64.9
  Czech Republic 19522 179 8.6 9.3 8.6 98.4
  Taiwan 62560 267 8.3 10.3 0.7 103.3
  Peru 103478 299 36.6 5.3 5.6 247.8
  Burundi 12274 88 47.8 8.2 1.2 285.8
  Singapore 10792 178 12.5 9.6 9.3 79.2
  Jamaica 3720 124 22.5 4.0 1.0 87.0
  Zimbabwe 24089 150 18.1 3.3 2.5 130.1
  Pakistan 108643 45 73.4 1.5 1.1 163.1
  Aruba (Netherlands) 252 233 33.3 6.3 28.6 93.3
  Faeroe Islands (Denmark) 13 24 38.5 0.0 92.9
  Greenland (Denmark) 167 294 22.8 13.8 0.9 109.2
  Norway 3010 54 29.5 4.9 28.3 83.1
  Cambodia 57000 320 26.6 6.1 6.5 409.1
  Eswatini/Swaziland 4500 369 24.5 2.9 6.0 171.1
  Japan 40544 33 15.2 9.1 6.9 47.3
  Slovenia 1502 70 36.8 5.5 52.5 111.6
  United Kingdom: Scotland 8266 148 25.8 3.8 7.6 100.3
  Turkey 433543 505 15.0 4.7 4.2 132.9
  Indonesia 275795 96 21.5 5.0 0.4 184.7
  Mexico 255190 188 41.1 6.2 1.4 112.5
  Colombia 104284 200 18.9 5.8 1.2 128.5
  Nigeria 79873 34 65.5 2.4 0.3 136.7
  Martinique (France) 1108 298 37.0 3.9 17.0 150.1
  French Guiana/Guyane (France) 1087 321 27.9 5.9 63.0 176.5
  Reunion (France) 1576 170 21.5 3.9 131.9
  Haiti 7163 59 82.0 3.5 302.0
  Lesotho 2600 117 19.5 2.9 0.9 70.6
  United Kingdom: Northern Ireland 2114 109 39.3 4.6 10.3 86.1
  United Kingdom: England & Wales 87332 139 20.2 4.0 12.7 107.3
  Slovakia 8063 149 14.1 7.4 5.2 70.4
  Italy 63868 108 24.6 4.3 31.6 124.6
  Ireland, Republic of 5770 104 20.3 5.5 15.8 122.7
  Guernsey (United Kingdom) 89 134 27.0 6.7 9.7 65.7
  France 85373 125 31.0 3.5 24.6 136.2
  Austria 9805 106 19.1 7.1 52.7 117.6
  Sri Lanka 38505 177 72.1 4.7 1.4 215.6
  Mauritius 2898 226 43.1 7.6 6.4 116.9
  New Caledonia (France) 557 186 12.1 1.6 142.8
  Guadeloupe (France) 985 247 27.0 2.6 157.1
  Mayotte (France) 629 204 56.5 0.8 226.3
  Dominican Republic 24801 219 64.6 2.7 7.1 157.6
  Ghana 14133 41 11.4 1.6 7.1 137.7
  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
  Argentina 133585 284 38.8 4.3 4.6 122.9
  Jersey (United Kingdom) 176 169 28.1 6.5 25.2 88.0
  Niger 15831 55 62.0 3.1 97.4
  Vanuatu 230 68 16.1 0.0 2.5 106.7
  Rwanda 87621 620 14.0 6.6 0.3 140.7
  Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) 2700 467 31.7 1.8 4.5 109.4
  Senegal 14147 76 48.0 2.6 9.6 329.5
  Uruguay 15767 449 12.7 7.9 2.3 130.1
  Tajikistan 14911 145 9.1 3.1 1.6 61.5
  Maldives 1195 225 24.4 4.0 8.8 125.0
  Kazakhstan 32171 163 20.3 8.2 3.7 62.4
  Yemen 4268 14 59.0 1.3 3.2
  Ukraine 44024 116 36.5 5.6 1.9 53.9
  North Macedonia 2605 142 12.1 3.8 7.1 101.2
  Liechtenstein 8 20 75.0 0.0 83.3 40.0
  Iceland 140 35 32.1 8.6 40.0 87.5
  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska 590 49 22.7 0.8 1.4 44.1
  Andorra 61 71 31.1 9.8 80.3 39.6
  Croatia 4445 115 41.4 5.1 17.5 109.1
  Bulgaria 6378 99 21.5 3.6 3.9 68.7
  Morocco 102653 267 37.6 2.5 1.5 158.8
  Bahamas 1357 336 37.0 7.4 9.3 161.7
  Sweden 9748 92 28.3 6.8 16.7 104.9
  Germany 59413 71 26.3 5.6 48.8 82.2
  Azerbaijan 26894 264 24.3 2.9 2.0 102.8
  Denmark 4129 69 35.5 5.3 27.0 93.9
  Gabon 5501 226 70.0 3.5 13.8
  Virgin Islands (USA) 261 251 36.4 5.2 15.7 74.1
  Central African Republic 2678 52 65.3 3.9 190.5
  Suriname 808 134 32.8 3.1 10.3 102.0
  Serbia 11701 177 21.5 4.1 6.3 97.9
  Luxembourg 613 91 47.3 4.2 75.4 61.6
  Latvia 3271 175 23.7 7.6 3.5 67.8
  Finland 3041 54 25.7 8.0 20.2 102.8
  Armenia 2469 83 53.3 2.8 8.1 55.0
  Palau 66 367 4.1 4.5 6.5 132.8
  Fiji 2276 248 20.6 3.1 1.7 103.5
  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
  Northern Mariana Islands (USA) 170 304 5.8 47.8
  Netherlands 11537 64 29.2 4.7 25.2 78.0
  Montenegro 1047 168 47.4 3.6 16.1 75.2
  San Marino 15 44 100.0 20.0 66.7 125.0
  Monaco 31 81 41.9 3.2 93.5 31.0
  Hungary 18729 196 22.8 8.4 5.0 104.1
  Australia 44403 163 40.6 7.7 14.4 112.2
  Somalia (Federal Republic of) 2799 16
  Kuwait 4500 101 14.6 5.8 13.5 126.2
  El Salvador 109519 1659 23.1 7.4 1.3 162.8
  French Polynesia (France) 575 200 19.0 3.7 102.7
  Canada 35485 90 46.6 7.0 102.2
  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
  Malaysia 84143 244 33.6 5.4 18.3 110.3
  Madagascar 30530 101 47.0 5.5 0.2 277.5
  St. Vincent and the Grenadines 404 361 16.1 2.0 1.0 79.8
  Puerto Rico (USA) 5798 177 13.1 3.7 1.2 55.9
  Grenada 370 324 20.4 1.6 4.8 205.6
  Barbados 692 240 54.7 3.0 9.1 61.5
  Mozambique 22000 63 28.1 3.0 3.3 247.9
  Cameroon 34419 118 55.5 2.6 4.6 164.3
  Benin 19563 144 55.0 3.1 8.8 279.5
  Malta 671 119 41.6 6.3 51.9 82.8
  Greece 10203 98 27.6 4.9 54.1 94.7
  Afghanistan 23000 54 52.2 4.3 0.7 179.9
  St. Lucia 579 310 64.4 2.7 1.7 102.8
  Solomon Islands 556 74 32.7 2.3 1.0 77.7
  Costa Rica 18090 345 17.5 4.4 15.2 120.4
  Honduras 19481 188 49.2 6.1 0.6 150.0
  Zambia 28225 137 20.1 3.3 2.1 265.0
  Cote d'Ivoire 27149 94 36.2 2.5 30.0 297.1
  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Federation 1688 79 21.3 3.2 3.6 82.6
  Sierra Leone 4453 52 51.1 3.5 0.4 178.5
  Lebanon 9254 141 87.1 2.9 36.0 194.4
  Philippines 171247 149 65.2 9.8 0.2 362.0
  Guyana 2300 288 27.0 2.6 3.2 151.0
  Kenya 60000 103 42.9 4.7 1.5 176.5
  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 2.3 299.4
  Bolivia 31105 252 60.7 6.6 3.5 274.1
  Mali 10773 48 71.7 3.4 223.3
  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
  Cuba 90000 794
  Burkina Faso 8799 37 29.0 1.8 4.1 162.9
  Kyrgyzstan 7728 112 20.5 2.9 5.1 61.7
  Trinidad and Tobago 3802 276 59.7 2.9 3.7 81.8
  St. Kitts and Nevis 160 296 30.5 3.6 8.0 144.0
  Virgin Islands (United Kingdom) 132 426 37.0 4.5 155.3
  Tanzania 26802 41 31.4 2.7 5.9 109.0
  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
  Antigua and Barbuda 400 400 43.3 5.5 30.6 266.7
  Anguilla (United Kingdom) 36 240 45.5 0.0 29.1 91.7
  Mauritania 2826 57 50.0 2.0 13.4 101.8
  Botswana 3971 161 22.5 5.0 21.2 86.0
  Russian Federation 433006 300 25.5 8.9 7.1 67.0
  Gambia 543 22 55.6 2.6 66.7 172.5
  Samoa 358 179 23.2 5.3 0.5 121.2
  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 55.0 8.9 2.0 145.9
  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
  Myanmar (formerly Burma) 100324 183 15.1 12.3 0.7 111.5
  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
  Bermuda (United Kingdom) 124 200 20.2 2.9 11.4 59.7
  Saudi Arabia 48660 140 48.3 1.9 51.4
  Djibouti 750 74 35.8 5.0 22.8 171.4
  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
  Nicaragua 20918 332 21.4 5.4 1.0 177.6
  Marshall Islands 35 66 11.4 0.0 97.2
  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

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