- Country
- Argentina
- Ministry responsible
- Ministry of Justice and Human Rights
- Prison administration
- Servicio Penitenciario Federal and provincial prison administrations
- Contact address
-
(Federal) Lavalle 2705, Ciudad de Buenos Aires 1190
Argentina - Telephone
- Fax
- Head of prison administration
-
(Federal) Emiliano Blanco, Director Nacional
Prison population data
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) |
133,585
at 31.12.2024 (Ministry of Justice SNEEP - including 12,885 held in police comisarias)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
284
based on an estimated national population of 47.00 million at end of December 2024 (from United Nations figures)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
38.8%
(31.12.2024 - not including prisoners in police comisarias)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
4.3%
(31.12.2024 - not including prisoners in police comisarias)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) |
0.0%
(31.12.2024 - under 18; not including prisoners in police comisarias. There are just 24 under 18s in prisons.)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
4.6%
(31.12.2024 - not including prisoners in police comisarias)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions |
342
(2024 - not including police comisarias)
|
| Official capacity of prison system |
98,199
(31.12.2024 - not including police comisarias)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) |
122.9%
(31.12.2024)
|
Prison population trend
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate |
|---|---|---|
| 57,632 | 151 | |
| 65,351 | 168 | |
| 60,621 | 152 | |
| 60,611 | 149 | |
| 65,095 | 157 | |
| 66,484 | 157 | |
| 75,769 | 174 | |
| 103,209 | 230 | |
| 106,559 | 233 |
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.
ARGENTINA
| Year | Number in pre-trial/remand imprisonment (not including those in police comisarias) | Percentage of total prison population (not including those in police comisarias) | Pre-trial/remand population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2002 2005 2010 2015 2020 | 26,477 31,913 31,142 35,779 42,348 | 58.9% 57.6% 52.6% 50.1% 44.6% | 69 81 75 82 93 |
| 2024 | 46,828 | 38.8% | 100 |
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.
ARGENTINA
| Year | Number of female prisoners (not including those in police comisarias) | Percentage of total prison population (not including those in police comisarias) | Female prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 2002 2005 2010 2015 2020 | 2,402 2,172 2,719 2,963 3,568 | 5.3% 5.0% 4.6% 4.1% 3.8% | 6.4 5.6 6.7 6.8 7.9 |
| 2024 | 5,213 | 4.3% | 11.1 |
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.
ARGENTINA
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 1936 1972 1976 1980 1983 1992 1995 2000 | 12,179 24,233 22,436 23,480 26,483 21,016 25,852 37,885 | 98 97 84 83 89 62 73 102 |
N.B. Not including those held in comisarias.
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