- Country
- Colombia
- Ministry responsible
- Ministerio de Justicia y del Derecho
- Prison administration
- Instituto Nacional Penitenciario y Carcelario (INPEC)
- Contact address
-
Calle 26 No. 27-48 Piso 6, Bogota, Cundinamacar
Colombia - Telephone
- Fax
- Website
- Head of prison administration
-
(Brigadier General) Norberto Mujica Jaime, Director
Prison population data
| Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) |
102,949
at 31.3.2026 (national prison administration)
|
|---|---|
| Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
197
based on an estimated national population of 52.19 million at end of March 2026 (from United Nations figures)
|
| Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
18.1%
(31.3.2026)
|
| Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
5.7%
(31.3.2026)
|
| Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) |
0.0%
(31.3.2019 - minors in custody are the responsibility of a different authority)
|
| Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) |
1.2%
(30.4.2019)
|
| Number of establishments / institutions |
125
(2025)
|
| Official capacity of prison system |
81,025
(31.3.2026)
|
| Occupancy level (based on official capacity) |
127.1%
(31.3.2026)
|
Prison population trend
| Year | Prison population total | Prison population rate |
|---|---|---|
| 51,518 | 128 | |
| 52,936 | 127 | |
| 68,020 | 159 | |
| 60,021 | 136 | |
| 69,979 | 155 | |
| 84,444 | 183 | |
| 113,884 | 242 | |
| 113,623 | 237 | |
| 118,532 | 243 | |
| 118,513 | 239 | |
| 97,414 | 193 | |
| 98,242 | 192 |
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.
COLOMBIA
| 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 | 20,308 25,749 25,916 42,753 22,707 | 39.4% 38.5% 30.7% 35.5% 23.3% | 50 59 55 86 45 |
| 2026 | 18,600 | 18.1% | 35 |
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.
COLOMBIA
| 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 | 3,141 4,122 5,684 8,256 6,958 | 6.1% 6.2% 6.7% 6.9% 7.1% | 7.8 9.5 12.2 16.6 13.8 |
| 2026 | 5,885 | 5.7% | 11.3 |
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
COLOMBIA
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.
| Year | Prison population total | Prison Population rate (per 100,000 of national population) |
| 1972 1974 1977 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 | 32,505 31,096 34,183 32,549 28,407 32,287 33,258 51,518 | 139 130 132 119 94 96 90 128 |
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