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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 (%)
  Sao Tome e Principe 300 129 20.0 4.0 0.8 333.3
  New Zealand 9508 179 44.1 6.5 3.0 93.8
  Ecuador 32940 178 34.2 5.6 8.1 118.9
  Ukraine 42708 116 35.9 5.3 2.1 48.0
  Croatia 4091 106 36.4 5.9 10.5 101.0
  Spain 55909 116 16.4 7.0 30.1 74.1
  North Macedonia 2606 142 12.3 3.7 7.4 101.3
  Liechtenstein 6 15 83.3 0.0 83.3 30.0
  Iceland 141 36 30.5 9.9 39.7 77.9
  Bulgaria 6501 101 21.5 3.6 3.9 68.5
  Andorra 61 74 29.5 11.5 60.7 41.2
  Isle of Man (United Kingdom) 132 153 20.2 7.6 1.1 65.2
  Morocco 102653 267 37.6 2.5 1.5 158.8
  Germany 56294 67 20.8 5.9 39.5 77.6
  Central African Republic 2678 52 65.3 3.9 190.5
  Sweden 8414 80 27.0 6.3 16.7 102.0
  Denmark 4230 71 38.8 5.3 29.0 96.9
  Azerbaijan 24698 244 22.5 2.9 1.9 96.2
  Colombia 102626 198 22.1 6.3 1.3 125.3
  Paraguay 17712 239 67.0 5.2 4.2 171.6
  Netherlands 11537 64 29.2 4.7 25.2 78.0
  Armenia 2357 79 53.3 2.6 6.2 52.5
  Serbia 10787 162 20.4 4.2 4.1 90.2
  Luxembourg 705 106 48.9 5.5 77.7 70.9
  Switzerland 6881 77 46.1 5.7 72.3 94.9
  Portugal 12287 117 22.1 7.5 17.2 96.1
  San Marino 14 41 100.0 7.1 71.4 116.7
  Romania 24106 126 13.0 4.5 1.1 120.3
  Montenegro 1036 168 42.1 3.5 14.5 77.7
  Monaco 26 67 46.2 0.0 88.5 26.5
  New Caledonia (France) 614 208 12.1 1.5 157.4
  French Polynesia (France) 575 201 19.0 3.5 102.7
  Martinique (France) 1003 269 37.0 2.8 135.9
  Guadeloupe (France) 867 217 27.0 2.2 140.1
  French Guiana/Guyane (France) 1022 312 27.9 6.8 63.0 165.9
  Reunion (France) 1435 156 21.5 2.7 120.0
  Mayotte (France) 616 207 56.5 1.3 221.6
  Seychelles 407 337 27.3 8.1 1.3 53.8
  Chile 56322 296 37.1 8.1 3.4 91.3
  Hong Kong (China) 9079 121 37.5 21.0 27.1 74.0
  Panama 23798 522 35.2 4.9 10.1 163.1
  Kuwait 4500 101 14.6 5.8 13.5 126.2
  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
  Japan 40881 33 13.4 8.8 7.0 56.6
  Tonga 557 516 33.0 3.8 0.0 81.5
  Lithuania 4551 156 11.8 4.5 3.4 68.4
  Australia 41929 157 38.0 7.6 14.4 112.2
  Thailand 274277 391 19.1 12.1 2.9 115.1
  Greece 10256 99 24.7 5.0 56.8 100.9
  Poland 72900 195 11.3 5.2 3.4 86.2
  Estonia 1805 129 17.2 4.8 32.8 67.6
  United Kingdom: Scotland 8140 147 27.0 4.2 3.9 93.6
  United Kingdom: Northern Ireland 1890 98 41.2 4.9 11.3 84.5
  Turkey 337760 392 13.9 4.3 4.4 117.8
  Slovenia 1810 85 28.2 5.5 34.0 134.5
  Slovakia 9632 178 13.4 7.9 4.1 83.3
  Norway 3060 55 29.5 5.0 26.3 80.0
  Malta 690 123 43.9 9.1 47.4 58.7
  Ireland, Republic of 4998 93 18.3 5.2 14.6 110.7
  France 77450 114 30.9 4.7 25.1 125.8
  Belgium 12316 104 36.2 4.5 41.5 114.6
  Austria 9171 100 20.3 6.9 53.2 108.6
  Albania 4615 170 62.6 1.3 2.8 87.2
  Zimbabwe 24068 153 22.2 2.8 2.5 130.1
  United Kingdom: England & Wales 87360 145 18.7 4.2 11.9 109.4
  Italy 61480 105 25.1 4.4 31.3 120.0
  Guernsey (United Kingdom) 88 133 20.5 5.7 9.7 79.1
  Georgia 10241 270 18.3 3.8 9.2 83.0
  Czech Republic 19764 180 8.0 8.7 8.2 97.0
  Taiwan 57141 243 5.9 9.3 0.7 94.4
  Sri Lanka 30106 139 65.0 4.5 1.4 215.6
  Indonesia 271349 95 19.9 4.7 0.4 191.5
  Peru 96358 282 37.1 5.2 5.0 231.9
  Mexico 232494 174 37.6 5.7 1.2 104.5
  Nigeria 82895 36 68.6 2.3 0.3 136.7
  Ghana 14700 44 10.6 1.3 6.5 143.2
  Burundi 13689 103 52.9 7.7 1.2 318.8
  Honduras 19500 189 53.7 5.5 0.7 150.0
  Uganda 76223 151 45.8 4.8 1.8 363.0
  Sierra Leone 4453 52 51.1 3.5 0.4 178.5
  Dominican Republic 25280 225 53.9 2.6 7.2 161.0
  Lebanon 9254 141 87.1 2.9 36.0 194.4
  Cambodia 45122 257 26.6 6.6 3.7 409.1
  Grenada 385 338 20.4 1.6 3.1 194.4
  Mozambique 21814 63 28.1 3.0 1.5 245.8
  Madagascar 30530 101 47.0 5.5 0.1 277.5
  Cote d'Ivoire 25928 91 33.2 2.5 30.0 269.0
  Costa Rica 17829 343 16.0 4.8 15.0 120.4
  Kenya 60000 103 41.0 5.1 0.6 176.5
  Angola 24490 68 48.7 2.5 3.1 122.5
  India 573220 41 75.8 4.1 1.1 131.4
  Dominica 261 348 50.2 1.1 9.2 73.0
  Vietnam 133986 135 11.5 12.1 0.4
  Mauritius 2522 197 51.9 6.4 6.4 116.9
  Niger 10179 40 61.8 3.1 97.4
  Kosovo/Kosova 1830 99 35.6 2.7 5.7 97.1
  Rwanda 89034 637 14.0 5.4 0.3 138.1
  Libya 19103 269 29.0 1.1 12.8 141.6
  Comoros 422 46 43.6 1.6 7.7 161.7
  Argentina 117810 254 41.7 4.1 4.9 118.5
  South Africa 157056 258 35.6 3.0 10.5 146.0
  Jordan 19140 185 36.9 2.2 9.9 144.0
  Guatemala 23361 123 47.2 12.1 3.2 299.4
  Bangladesh 84851 50 75.6 3.9 0.6 197.9
  Nepal 27550 90 53.0 5.4 5.1 153.7
  Senegal 13185 69 53.8 2.6 9.1 129.7
  Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) 2100 366 31.7 2.9 109.4
  Macau (China) 1339 197 12.7 15.4 72.1 82.8
  Bolivia 25291 209 66.2 6.1 3.3 287.8
  Brazil 839672 390 26.9 5.4 0.3 173.9
  Mali 8670 40 69.0 3.0 223.3
  Uruguay 14965 424 12.7 7.4 2.8 130.1
  Guam (USA) 820 475 54.3 3.9 0.0 155.6
  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
  Latvia 3229 172 22.7 7.7 2.4 67.0
  Fiji 2276 248 19.9 2.5 1.2 103.5
  Democratic Republic of Congo 44536 46 70.0 2.3 322.8
  Israel 19756 217 25.2 1.0 38.9 136.2
  Northern Mariana Islands (USA) 153 273 5.8 53.8
  Qatar 2055 69 24.7 2.9 84.8
  United States of America 1767200 531 25.5 8.8 7.3 95.6
  Moldova (Republic of) 6084 236 17.1 5.4 1.5 91.9
  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
  El Salvador 71000 1086 23.1 7.4 1.3 236.7
  Belize 1199 289 36.4 3.0 12.3 57.1
  Cyprus (Republic of) 947 103 24.1 9.2 55.2 173.8
  Zambia 25372 125 20.1 3.3 2.1 238.2
  Malaysia 72437 217 41.7 5.9 18.3 110.2
  Cameroon 32003 116 58.0 2.6 4.9 164.8
  Benin 12000 91 66.6 3.3 213.5
  St. Lucia 572 308 67.8 2.7 3.0 102.8
  Cayman Islands (United Kingdom) 226 277 29.6 7.2 34.1 122.8
  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
  Burkina Faso 8800 39 29.9 1.8 4.1 168.3
  St. Vincent and the Grenadines 392 353 24.3 2.8 3.8 79.8
  Kyrgyzstan 7633 117 20.5 2.9 3.2 61.7
  Republic of (South) Korea 52940 103 34.9 8.1 5.0 108.1
  Faeroe Islands (Denmark) 12 23 65.9 0.0 87.9
  Greenland (Denmark) 136 241 21.4 13.8 0.9 89.0
  Anguilla (United Kingdom) 36 240 45.5 0.0 29.1 91.7
  Egypt 120000 116 33.3 3.7 1.0
  Pakistan 87712 38 70.0 1.6 1.2 136.8
  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
  Puerto Rico (USA) 7176 221 13.1 3.7 69.7
  Jamaica 3559 125 22.5 4.0 0.2 87.0
  Barbados 743 258 54.7 3.4 13.8 61.5
  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
  Singapore 9536 156 11.3 10.2 10.6 79.2
  Haiti 11778 99 84.6 3.5 302.0
  Guyana 2156 271 27.0 2.8 1.5 151.0
  Russian Federation 433006 300 25.5 8.9 6.2 67.0
  Philippines 180826 162 65.2 9.8 0.3 362.0
  Vanuatu 195 65 32.3 6.7 2.5 106.7
  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
  Kazakhstan 35228 184 20.3 7.0 3.7 62.4
  Tajikistan 14000 141 14.1 2.4 4.9 61.5
  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
  Solomon Islands 500 79 46.8 1.7 1.0 77.7
  American Samoa (USA) 301 538 70.1 9.6 62.2 166.2
  Iraq 73715 179 29.8 2.6 139.2
  Virgin Islands (USA) 359 345 36.4 5.2 15.7 162.5
  Gabon 5226 228 80.2 2.2
  Venezuela 67200 199 62.5 7.8 2.3 163.8
  Suriname 1000 185 50.0 2.8 19.3 75.2
  Equatorial Guinea 500 63 5.0
  Chad 8700 59 63.4 2.4 1.3 232.3
  Guinea (Republic of) 4375 34 54.2 3.0 2.7 171.4
  Palau 77 428 4.1 3.9 6.5 132.8
  Mongolia 5832 183 24.3 4.5 0.4 124.4
  Togo 4990 59 60.0 2.6 5.2 183.5
  Algeria 94749 217 19.0 1.5 3.8 119.0
  Malawi 16366 76 17.6 1.1 0.2 233.8
  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
  Yemen 9719 35 59.0 1.3 3.2
  Guinea Bissau 596 31 67.9 2.6 7.1 102.2
  Jersey (United Kingdom) 146 135 28.1 6.8 25.2 69.5
  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
  Bahamas 1617 409 37.0 3.1 161.7
  Saudi Arabia 68056 207 48.3 1.9 49.0
  Djibouti 662 71 35.8 5.0 171.4
  Congo (Republic of) 1388 27 60.0 3.7 616.9
  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Federation 1813 83 19.8 3.2 3.6 98.3
  Brunei Darussalam 841 186 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
  Cook Islands (New Zealand) 47 224 14.6 8.3 0.0 50.0
  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
  Federal Republic of Somalia
  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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