- Country
- United Kingdom: England and Wales
- Ministry responsible
- Ministry of Justice
- Prison administration
- Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)
- Contact address
-
Clive House, 70 Petty France, London SW1H 9EX, England
United Kingdom - Telephone
- Head of prison administration
-
James McEwen, Chief Executive Officer
Prison population data
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) |
86,596
at 29.12.2025 (Ministry of Justice - not including juveniles in Secure Training Centres and Local Authority Secure Children's Homes, of whom there were 147 at 30.9.2025)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
138
based on an estimated national population of 62.87 million at end of December 2025 (from Office for National Statistics figures)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
20.2%
(30.9.2025)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
3.9%
(29.12.2025)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) |
0.5%
(30.9.2025 - under 18. In addition to these 253 juveniles, a further 59 were being held in Secure Training Centres and 88 in Local Authority Secure Children's Homes.)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
12.7%
(30.9.2025 - including those whose nationality is unknown)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions |
121
(2025)
|
| Official capacity of prison system |
81,383
(24.11.2025 - certified normal accommodation in use)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) |
107.3%
(24.11.2025)
|
Prison population trend
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate |
|---|---|---|
| 64,602 | 124 | |
| 70,861 | 135 | |
| 74,657 | 141 | |
| 78,150 | 145 | |
| 82,636 | 152 | |
| 84,725 | 153 | |
| 86,634 | 153 | |
| 85,307 | 149 | |
| 85,348 | 146 | |
| 82,773 | 140 | |
| 79,514 | 133 | |
| 80,659 | 135 |
Prison population total
Prison population rate
- Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
- Female prison population: trend
- Prison population trend up to 2000
Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the recent trend in the pre-trial/remand prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that pre-trial/remand prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the pre-trial/remand population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
UNITED KINGDOM: ENGLAND AND WALES
| Year | Number in pre-trial/remand imprisonment | Percentage of total prison population | Pre-trial/remand population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 | 11,433 12,864 13,004 11,785 11,388 | 17.5% 16.9% 15.3% 13.7% 14.3% | 22 24 24 20 19 |
| 2025 | 17,700 | 20.2% | 28 |
It should be noted that the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners fluctuates from day to day, month to month and year to year. Consequently the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
Female prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
UNITED KINGDOM: ENGLAND AND WALES
| Year | Number of female prisoners | Percentage of total prison population | Female prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 | 3,350 4,467 4,236 3,885 3,255 | 5.2% 5.9% 5.0% 4.5% 4.1% | 6.4 8.4 7.7 6.7 5.5 |
| 2025 | 3,404 | 3.9% | 5.4 |
The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column).
Prison population trend up to 2000
The figures below give an indication of the prison population trend in the years up to 2000. They supplement the more recent figures that are shown at the foot of the Overview page and in the graphs below.
UNITED KINGDOM: ENGLAND AND WALES
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 1900 1910 1920 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 | 17,435 20,904 11,000 11,346 11,306 9,377 14,708 20,474 21,134 27,099 30,421 39,028 39,820 43,109 46,278 45,636 51,047 64,602 | 54 59 29 29 28 23 35 47 47 59 64 80 81 87 93 90 100 124 |
Can you donate to support the WPB?
We receive no external funding for our work in sourcing and compiling prison populations data, hosting the WPB website and keeping it regularly updated with the most recent information available. To help sustain this unique, open access resource
