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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 (%)
  Costa Rica 17829 343 16.0 4.8 15.0 120.4
  United Kingdom: Scotland 7959 144 27.6 4.1 3.9 97.4
  United Kingdom: Northern Ireland 1881 97 36.0 4.6 10.6 77.8
  United Kingdom: England & Wales 87973 146 18.3 4.1 11.9 110.5
  Turkey 314375 366 14.6 4.2 3.8 117.8
  Slovenia 1829 86 26.9 5.4 29.3 135.9
  Slovakia 9717 179 13.9 7.8 2.6 84.1
  Poland 74548 199 11.2 5.1 3.1 88.7
  Norway 3012 54 29.1 5.4 26.2 80.7
  Italy 60924 104 27.6 4.3 31.2 119.0
  Ireland, Republic of 4883 91 18.9 5.0 15.4 108.2
  Guernsey (United Kingdom) 87 131 19.5 5.7 9.7 79.1
  Georgia 9926 262 18.1 3.5 8.4 80.5
  Estonia 1805 129 17.2 4.8 33.1 61.9
  Czech Republic 19768 181 7.9 8.7 8.1 97.1
  Austria 9049 99 20.6 6.8 53.0 107.3
  Albania 5311 195 58.0 1.2 2.1 88.2
  Taiwan 55426 236 5.4 9.0 0.7 114.8
  Sri Lanka 30793 142 64.7 4.3 1.4 220.7
  Indonesia 264721 93 18.4 4.7 0.4 192.6
  Peru 94502 277 36.9 5.2 4.7 230.4
  Mexico 232829 174 37.8 5.7 1.2 105.4
  Dominican Republic 26396 235 59.5 2.5 6.9 168.1
  Nigeria 78621 35 68.9 2.2 0.3 136.7
  Ghana 15019 45 11.5 1.4 6.6 146.3
  Burundi 13898 105 51.2 7.5 1.2 323.7
  Morocco 103302 270 40.9 2.4 1.4 154.8
  India 573220 41 75.8 4.1 1.1 131.4
  New Caledonia (France) 590 201 12.1 1.3 142.5
  Martinique (France) 1003 261 37.0 3.1 135.9
  Guadeloupe (France) 881 197 27.0 2.2 142.3
  French Guiana/Guyane (France) 1001 305 27.9 8.4 63.0 162.5
  France 74342 109 30.8 4.4 25.0 122.2
  Dominica 261 348 50.2 1.1 9.2 73.0
  Vietnam 133986 135 11.5 12.1 0.4
  Iceland 140 36 21.1 8.3 23.3 80.0
  Portugal 12185 116 21.5 7.4 16.8 95.0
  New Zealand 9115 173 42.7 6.2 3.0 93.8
  Mauritius 2522 197 51.9 6.4 6.4 116.9
  Romania 23608 124 13.0 4.5 1.1 120.6
  Colombia 101622 198 23.7 6.5 1.3 124.3
  Mayotte (France) 549 186 56.5 1.3 197.5
  Canada 33833 88 43.4 7.0 102.2
  Niger 10179 40 61.8 3.1 97.4
  Papua New Guinea 5000 54 40.0 5.0 0.4 116.5
  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
  Mozambique 23098 67 30.6 3.0 1.5 238.2
  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
  Ecuador 30804 167 36.2 5.5 8.1 111.8
  Chile 53200 281 37.1 7.8 3.4 91.3
  Bangladesh 84851 50 75.6 3.9 0.6 197.9
  Guatemala 23361 123 47.2 12.1 3.2 293.2
  Uganda 75764 150 48.0 4.7 1.8 360.8
  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
  Croatia 4073 106 32.3 5.9 12.0 100.7
  Spain 54197 113 16.1 7.1 29.1 74.1
  North Macedonia 2525 138 10.7 3.1 7.0 98.1
  Liechtenstein 6 15 100.0 0.0 83.3 30.0
  Bulgaria 6501 101 18.4 3.7 3.7 67.6
  Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska 524 44 20.5 2.1 1.5 39.7
  Andorra 60 73 47.1 11.8 70.6 40.5
  Seychelles 417 413 29.5 6.5 1.3 53.8
  Sweden 8635 82 26.9 5.9 22.1 105.0
  Germany 56325 67 20.6 5.6 27.0 77.6
  Azerbaijan 24698 244 25.3 2.8 2.0 96.2
  Paraguay 17006 233 67.0 5.2 4.2 171.6
  Reunion (France) 1249 137 21.5 2.3 104.4
  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
  Serbia 10787 162 27.8 4.1 3.8 90.2
  Luxembourg 705 107 46.3 5.4 73.7 77.5
  Latvia 3229 172 25.4 8.4 1.8 67.0
  Finland 2839 51 23.2 7.1 16.3 94.9
  Armenia 2357 79 57.2 2.9 5.4 52.5
  Netherlands 11447 65 32.6 4.6 23.1 90.6
  Northern Mariana Islands (USA) 153 273 5.8 53.8
  United States of America 1767200 531 25.5 8.8 7.3 95.6
  San Marino 3 9 88.9 11.1 11.1 25.0
  Montenegro 1026 166 41.1 3.2 15.1 77.0
  Monaco 27 69 50.0 14.3 92.9 31.0
  Moldova (Republic of) 6084 236 17.1 5.4 1.5 91.9
  Australia 41155 158 36.6 7.3 17.1 112.2
  Uzbekistan 29000 85 10.0 80.0
  Qatar 1644 58 24.7 4.6 17.2
  Kuwait 4500 103 14.6 5.8 13.5 128.8
  Hong Kong (China) 7751 106 30.2 19.7 27.1 74.0
  Panama 22239 499 35.4 5.1 10.1 152.4
  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
  Lebanon 8502 129 87.1 2.9 36.0 178.6
  Malta 690 132 43.9 8.6 47.4 58.7
  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
  Zambia 25372 125 20.1 2.7 2.1 238.2
  Cote d'Ivoire 26940 95 33.2 2.5 30.0 339.9
  Burkina Faso 8800 39 29.9 1.8 4.1 168.3
  Zimbabwe 21619 138 25.0 2.1 2.5 130.1
  St. Vincent and the Grenadines 392 353 24.3 2.8 3.8 79.8
  Greece 10526 101 23.7 4.9 58.6 103.4
  Cyprus (Republic of) 947 103 24.1 9.5 52.1 173.8
  Belgium 11326 97 36.2 4.5 43.4 116.1
  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
  Honduras 19619 191 53.7 5.5 0.7 150.8
  Madagascar 28830 98 50.0 5.5 0.1 262.1
  Cameroon 32003 116 58.0 2.6 4.9 177.6
  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
  Malaysia 72437 217 41.7 5.9 18.3 110.2
  Cambodia 38050 219 34.7 6.6 3.7 345.9
  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
  Grenada 379 335 20.4 1.3 3.1 191.4
  Barbados 743 258 54.7 3.4 13.8 61.5
  Tanzania 32671 50 50.0 3.4 3.7 109.0
  Sierra Leone 4801 57 54.7 1.5 0.5 192.4
  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
  Benin 14190 111 54.9 3.3 160.1
  Singapore 9536 156 11.3 10.2 10.6 79.2
  Haiti 11778 99 84.6 3.5 302.0
  Thailand 262319 377 18.8 11.6 3.5 115.5
  French Polynesia (France) 509 178 19.0 2.6 87.8
  Guyana 2156 271 27.0 2.8 1.5 151.0
  Lithuania 4955 177 11.0 4.1 3.3 74.5
  Russian Federation 433006 300 25.5 8.9 6.2 67.0
  Philippines 180826 162 65.2 9.8 0.3 362.0
  Kenya 58887 107 41.0 5.1 0.6 173.2
  Angola 24966 79 44.4 2.5 3.1 119.0
  Ukraine 48038 123 35.6 3.9 2.3 54.4
  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
  Japan 45714 36 12.4 8.6 7.0 56.6
  Kazakhstan 35228 184 20.3 7.0 3.7 62.4
  Tajikistan 14000 141 14.1 2.4 4.9 61.5
  Denmark 4106 69 39.3 4.8 26.9 97.4
  Central African Republic 1990 40 84.1 2.3
  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
  Hungary 19499 203 22.6 7.5 11.2 107.5
  Switzerland 6445 73 45.8 5.9 71.0 89.6
  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
  Venezuela 67200 199 62.5 7.8 2.3 157.5
  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
  Isle of Man (United Kingdom) 90 103 20.2 4.4 1.1 65.2
  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
  Sao Tome e Principe 260 115 20.0 4.0 0.8 130.0
  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
  Oman 1960 46 5.6 4.5 30.3
  Tuvalu 11 110 0.0 0.0 0.0
  Tonga 176 166 7.4 4.5 0.0 81.5
  Nauru 14 140 25.0 7.1 6.7 14.0
  Micronesia, Federated States of 132 127 16.7 0.0 88.0
  Bhutan 1119 145 4.3 6.8
  Somalia
  United Arab Emirates 9826 104 38.2 11.7 87.8 158.9
  Syria 10599 60 50.5 7.4 7.3 65.6