Highest to Lowest
Donate to WPBPlease 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 (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |