The World Prison Brief's latest rates for 222 countries and territories run from 14 per 100,000 people in Yemen (2022) to 1,659 in El Salvador (2024), and in 76 of the 124 countries with at least two independent sources, those sources' latest rates are within 10% of each other.
Every figure in this summary is calculated from the sources listed on this page.
Prison population rate, Norway
People held in prison, including pre-trial detainees, per 100,000 people. Norway, Latest available: WPB 2026, UNODC 2024, SPACE 2025. Unit: per 100,000 people.
54per 100,000 people, 2026
80Trust scoreHigh certainty
Score breakdown
Quality35.1 / 40
How well the sources are made
Agreement23.1 / 30
How close the sources are to each other
Independence12 / 20
How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10
How recent the newest data is
How much each source counts
WPB31%
UNODC38%
CoE SPACE31%
Sources
Source
Value
Definition
Quality
Weight
World Prison Brief, prison population rateInstitute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck, University of London · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26
542026
Prison population total including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners, as given on the WPB country page: 3,030 at 30.9.2026 (national prison administration).
Rate per 100,000 as published by WPB, rounded to a whole number, based on an estimated national population of 5.64 million at end of September 2026 (from Statistics Norway figures). Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners: 29.7% of the total (30.9.2026). WPB shows the latest figure it has found, so the date differs from country to country.
Transcribed from the WPB country page (Overview tab, table "Prison population data") into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json; page saved in raw/prison-population-rate/wpb/country/.
4 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. Each country page gives the date, the source and the population used for the rate.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. WPB takes this figure from an official body (national prison administration).
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of the people held (or an annual average), not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Figures are shown only on web pages; WPB offers no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. WPB notes no gap or estimate for this figure.
Persons held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions on one day, which UNODC says is typically 31 December of the year, total for both sexes and all ages, sentenced and unsentenced (pre-trial).
UNODC asks countries to leave out people held for immigration reasons. Rate per 100,000 from UNODC's population figures (UN World Population Prospects). 3,356 persons held. Latest year in the file. UNODC source codes for this country's series: CTS/SDG.
Raw file: data_cts_prisons_and_prisoners.xlsx (UNODC, last updated 12 July 2026; file dated 30 September 2026).
5 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. UNODC publishes the UN-CTS definitions and a metadata note for the dataset.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. National figures sent by governments through the UN crime trends survey (UN-CTS) or other official channels.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
Yes: Raw data downloadable. The whole dataset is a free Excel download from the UNODC data portal.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. UNODC marks no adjustment or estimate for this series.
Total number of inmates including pre-trial detainees on 31 January 2025 (3,020), per 100,000 inhabitants on 1 January 2025 (5,594,340, from Eurostat unless the report names another source).
Prison administrations that could not give 31 January used the nearest date, listed in the notes to Table 1 of the report. SPACE also publishes an adjusted rate of 53.8 (3,010 inmates), which removes the special categories listed in its Tables 2.1 and 2.2 (such as people in police custody, psychiatric hospitals, immigration detention, private prisons or under electronic monitoring); the report calls adjusted figures estimates, not official national data.
Same values in Table 3 (printed page 34) of the SPACE I 2025 report (https://wp.unil.ch/space/files/2026/06/260626_rapport-space-i-2025.pdf), row "Norway"; transcribed into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json.
4 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. The report gives standard definitions and lists, country by country, which categories each total includes.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. Official Council of Europe statistics from questionnaires answered by national prison administrations.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Published only as a PDF report and a web table; no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. The report flags no inconsistency for this figure.
31%
Prison population rate, Norway, by source · per 100,000 people
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
Show the data as a table
Year
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
2010
72.9
74
2011
78.05
–
2012
80.74
72
2013
76.16
–
2014
79.87
72
2015
76.96
–
2016
78.67
73
2017
77.7
–
2018
70.2
65
2019
65.78
–
2020
65.44
54
2021
67.29
–
2022
67.33
56
2023
62.04
–
2024
60.18
–
2026
–
54
Prison population rate, Sweden
People held in prison, including pre-trial detainees, per 100,000 people. Sweden, Latest available: WPB 2025, UNODC 2024, SPACE 2025. Unit: per 100,000 people.
105.92per 100,000 people, 2025
88Trust scoreHigh certainty
Score breakdown
Quality36.4 / 40
How well the sources are made
Agreement29.9 / 30
How close the sources are to each other
Independence12 / 20
How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10
How recent the newest data is
How much each source counts
UNODC56%
CoE SPACE44%
Shown but not counted: WPB (republishes Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics, SPACE I 2025).
Sources
Source
Value
Definition
Quality
Weight
World Prison Brief, prison population rateInstitute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck, University of London · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26
1062025
Prison population total including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners, as given on the WPB country page: 11,232 at 31.1.2025 (via Council of Europe).
Rate per 100,000 as published by WPB, rounded to a whole number, based on an estimated national population of 10.59 million at end of January 2025 (from Eurostat figures). Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners: 26.9% of the total (31.1.2025). WPB shows the latest figure it has found, so the date differs from country to country.
Transcribed from the WPB country page (Overview tab, table "Prison population data") into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json; page saved in raw/prison-population-rate/wpb/country/. WPB gives its source as "via Council of Europe", the collection shown in the CoE SPACE line, so this figure is shown but not counted as a separate source.
4 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. Each country page gives the date, the source and the population used for the rate.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. WPB takes this figure from an official body (via Council of Europe).
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of the people held (or an annual average), not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Figures are shown only on web pages; WPB offers no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. WPB notes no gap or estimate for this figure.
Persons held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions on one day, which UNODC says is typically 31 December of the year, total for both sexes and all ages, sentenced and unsentenced (pre-trial).
UNODC asks countries to leave out people held for immigration reasons. Rate per 100,000 from UNODC's population figures (UN World Population Prospects). 11,235 persons held. Latest year in the file. UNODC source codes for this country's series: CTS.
Raw file: data_cts_prisons_and_prisoners.xlsx (UNODC, last updated 12 July 2026; file dated 30 September 2026).
5 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. UNODC publishes the UN-CTS definitions and a metadata note for the dataset.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. National figures sent by governments through the UN crime trends survey (UN-CTS) or other official channels.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
Yes: Raw data downloadable. The whole dataset is a free Excel download from the UNODC data portal.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. UNODC marks no adjustment or estimate for this series.
Total number of inmates including pre-trial detainees on 31 January 2025 (11,232), per 100,000 inhabitants on 1 January 2025 (10,587,710, from Eurostat unless the report names another source).
Prison administrations that could not give 31 January used the nearest date, listed in the notes to Table 1 of the report. SPACE also publishes an adjusted rate of 106.1 (11,232 inmates), which removes the special categories listed in its Tables 2.1 and 2.2 (such as people in police custody, psychiatric hospitals, immigration detention, private prisons or under electronic monitoring); the report calls adjusted figures estimates, not official national data.
Same values in Table 3 (printed page 34) of the SPACE I 2025 report (https://wp.unil.ch/space/files/2026/06/260626_rapport-space-i-2025.pdf), row "Sweden"; transcribed into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json.
4 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. The report gives standard definitions and lists, country by country, which categories each total includes.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. Official Council of Europe statistics from questionnaires answered by national prison administrations.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Published only as a PDF report and a web table; no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. The report flags no inconsistency for this figure.
44%
Prison population rate, Sweden, by source · per 100,000 people
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
Show the data as a table
Year
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
2010
73
74
2011
70.58
–
2012
66.14
69
2013
59.61
–
2014
59.89
61
2015
58.07
–
2016
57.02
58
2017
56.8
–
2018
60.09
63
2019
65.37
–
2020
70.48
73
2021
74.65
–
2022
80.23
80
2023
92.39
–
2024
105.92
–
2025
–
106
Prison population rate, United States of America
People held in prison, including pre-trial detainees, per 100,000 people. United States of America, Latest available: WPB 2023, UNODC 2023. Unit: per 100,000 people.
533.86per 100,000 people, 2023
85Trust scoreHigh certainty
Score breakdown
Quality36.4 / 40
How well the sources are made
Agreement29.1 / 30
How close the sources are to each other
Independence12 / 20
How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness7 / 10
How recent the newest data is
How much each source counts
WPB44%
UNODC56%
Sources
Source
Value
Definition
Quality
Weight
World Prison Brief, prison population rateInstitute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck, University of London · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26
5422023
Prison population total including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners, as given on the WPB country page: 1,833,700 at 2023 (U.S.
Bureau of Justice Statistics - 664,200 in local jails at 30.6.2023, 1,013,500 in state prisons at 31.12.2023, 156,000 in federal prisons at 31.12.2023. In addition, there are prisoners in the Indian Country Jails (2,340 in 2023). Rate per 100,000 as published by WPB, rounded to a whole number, based on an estimated national population of 338.46 million at end of 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau). Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners: 25.5% of the total (2023). WPB shows the latest figure it has found, so the date differs from country to country.
Transcribed from the WPB country page (Overview tab, table "Prison population data") into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json; page saved in raw/prison-population-rate/wpb/country/.
4 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. Each country page gives the date, the source and the population used for the rate.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. WPB takes this figure from an official body (U.S).
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of the people held (or an annual average), not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Figures are shown only on web pages; WPB offers no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. WPB notes no gap or estimate for this figure.
Persons held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions on one day, which UNODC says is typically 31 December of the year, total for both sexes and all ages, sentenced and unsentenced (pre-trial).
UNODC asks countries to leave out people held for immigration reasons. Rate per 100,000 from UNODC's population figures (UN World Population Prospects). 1,833,700 persons held. Latest year in the file. UNODC source codes for this country's series: External/CTS.
Raw file: data_cts_prisons_and_prisoners.xlsx (UNODC, last updated 12 July 2026; file dated 30 September 2026).
5 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. UNODC publishes the UN-CTS definitions and a metadata note for the dataset.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. National figures sent by governments through the UN crime trends survey (UN-CTS) or other official channels.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
Yes: Raw data downloadable. The whole dataset is a free Excel download from the UNODC data portal.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. UNODC marks no adjustment or estimate for this series.
56%
Prison population rate, United States of America, by source · per 100,000 people
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
Show the data as a table
Year
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
2010
732.68
731
2011
717.12
–
2012
703.66
707
2013
694.29
–
2014
688.64
693
2015
666.24
–
2016
657.73
666
2017
648.28
–
2018
633.65
642
2019
613.87
–
2020
493.23
505
2021
519.55
–
2022
529.41
541
2023
533.86
542
Prison population rate, El Salvador
People held in prison, including pre-trial detainees, per 100,000 people. El Salvador, Latest available: WPB 2024, UNODC 2024. Unit: per 100,000 people.
1,659per 100,000 people, 2024
55Trust scoreLow certainty
Only one source – not confirmed by others. Agreement can't be measured, so the score can't reach High.
Score breakdown
Quality24 / 40
How well the sources are made
Agreement15 / 30
Unknown with one source, so set to half
Independence6 / 20
How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10
How recent the newest data is
How much each source counts
WPB100%
Shown but not counted: UNODC (republishes World Prison Brief, prison population rate).
Sources
Source
Value
Definition
Quality
Weight
World Prison Brief, prison population rateInstitute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck, University of London · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26
1,6592024
Prison population total including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners, as given on the WPB country page: 109,519 at March 2024 (via Cristosal Centroamerica).
Rate per 100,000 as published by WPB, rounded to a whole number, based on an estimated national population of 6.60 million at March 2024 (from United Nations figures). Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners: 23.1% of the total (22.3.2021). WPB shows the latest figure it has found, so the date differs from country to country.
Transcribed from the WPB country page (Overview tab, table "Prison population data") into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json; page saved in raw/prison-population-rate/wpb/country/.
3 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. Each country page gives the date, the source and the population used for the rate.
No: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. WPB takes this figure from a non-official or second-hand source (via Cristosal Centroamerica).
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of the people held (or an annual average), not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Figures are shown only on web pages; WPB offers no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. WPB notes no gap or estimate for this figure.
Persons held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions on one day, which UNODC says is typically 31 December of the year, total for both sexes and all ages, sentenced and unsentenced (pre-trial).
UNODC asks countries to leave out people held for immigration reasons. Rate per 100,000 from UNODC's population figures (UN World Population Prospects). 109,519 persons held. Latest year in the file. UNODC source codes for this country's series: External/CTS/WPB-ICPR.
Raw file: data_cts_prisons_and_prisoners.xlsx (UNODC, last updated 12 July 2026; file dated 30 September 2026). UNODC lists the World Prison Brief among the sources for this series, and its count for 2024 (109,519) is the same as WPB's figure for that year, so it is shown but not counted as a separate source.
5 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. UNODC publishes the UN-CTS definitions and a metadata note for the dataset.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. National figures sent by governments through the UN crime trends survey (UN-CTS) or other official channels.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
Yes: Raw data downloadable. The whole dataset is a free Excel download from the UNODC data portal.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. UNODC marks no adjustment or estimate for this series.
Not counted
Prison population rate, El Salvador, by source · per 100,000 people
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
Show the data as a table
Year
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
2010
431.99
399
2011
416.53
–
2012
464.23
433
2013
437.35
–
2014
481.81
450
2015
537.84
–
2016
593.86
579
2017
639.23
–
2018
637.35
617
2019
642.22
–
2020
596.5
572
2024
1,727.92
1,659
Prison population rate, Russian Federation
People held in prison, including pre-trial detainees, per 100,000 people. Russian Federation, Latest available: WPB 2026, UNODC 2024. Unit: per 100,000 people.
216.34per 100,000 people, 2026
83Trust scoreHigh certainty
Score breakdown
Quality36.4 / 40
How well the sources are made
Agreement24.6 / 30
How close the sources are to each other
Independence12 / 20
How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10
How recent the newest data is
How much each source counts
WPB44%
UNODC56%
Sources
Source
Value
Definition
Quality
Weight
World Prison Brief, prison population rateInstitute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck, University of London · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26
1972026
Prison population total including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners, as given on the WPB country page: 282,000 at May 2026 (national prison administration).
Rate per 100,000 as published by WPB, rounded to a whole number, based on an estimated national population of 143.5 million at May 2026 (from Russian Federal State Statistics Service figures). Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners: 30.1% of the total (May 2026 - prisoners held in pre-trial SIZO institutions or facilities functioning as SIZOs). WPB shows the latest figure it has found, so the date differs from country to country.
Transcribed from the WPB country page (Overview tab, table "Prison population data") into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json; page saved in raw/prison-population-rate/wpb/country/.
4 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. Each country page gives the date, the source and the population used for the rate.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. WPB takes this figure from an official body (national prison administration).
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of the people held (or an annual average), not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Figures are shown only on web pages; WPB offers no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. WPB notes no gap or estimate for this figure.
Persons held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions on one day, which UNODC says is typically 31 December of the year, total for both sexes and all ages, sentenced and unsentenced (pre-trial).
UNODC asks countries to leave out people held for immigration reasons. Rate per 100,000 from UNODC's population figures (UN World Population Prospects). 313,304 persons held. Latest year in the file. UNODC source codes for this country's series: External/CTS/SDG.
Raw file: data_cts_prisons_and_prisoners.xlsx (UNODC, last updated 12 July 2026; file dated 30 September 2026).
5 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. UNODC publishes the UN-CTS definitions and a metadata note for the dataset.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. National figures sent by governments through the UN crime trends survey (UN-CTS) or other official channels.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
Yes: Raw data downloadable. The whole dataset is a free Excel download from the UNODC data portal.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. UNODC marks no adjustment or estimate for this series.
56%
Prison population rate, Russian Federation, by source · per 100,000 people
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
Show the data as a table
Year
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
2010
569.2
609
2011
524.6
–
2012
486.45
528
2013
468.37
–
2014
463.44
471
2015
444.63
–
2016
432.27
448
2017
411.92
–
2018
384.6
416
2019
357.55
–
2020
329.91
363
2021
319.47
–
2022
287.28
322
2023
242.75
–
2024
216.34
–
2026
–
197
Prison population rate, Japan
People held in prison, including pre-trial detainees, per 100,000 people. Japan, Latest available: WPB 2025, UNODC 2024. Unit: per 100,000 people.
32.76per 100,000 people, 2025
88Trust scoreHigh certainty
Score breakdown
Quality36.4 / 40
How well the sources are made
Agreement29.6 / 30
How close the sources are to each other
Independence12 / 20
How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10
How recent the newest data is
How much each source counts
WPB44%
UNODC56%
Sources
Source
Value
Definition
Quality
Weight
World Prison Brief, prison population rateInstitute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck, University of London · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26
332025
Prison population total including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners, as given on the WPB country page: 41,232 at mid-2025 (via Asian & Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators).
Rate per 100,000 as published by WPB, rounded to a whole number, based on an estimated national population of 123.36 million at mid-2025 (from Japanese government statistics bureau figures). Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners: 15.8% of the total (mid-2025). WPB shows the latest figure it has found, so the date differs from country to country.
Transcribed from the WPB country page (Overview tab, table "Prison population data") into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json; page saved in raw/prison-population-rate/wpb/country/.
4 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. Each country page gives the date, the source and the population used for the rate.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. WPB takes this figure from an official body (via Asian & Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators).
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of the people held (or an annual average), not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Figures are shown only on web pages; WPB offers no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. WPB notes no gap or estimate for this figure.
Persons held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions on one day, which UNODC says is typically 31 December of the year, total for both sexes and all ages, sentenced and unsentenced (pre-trial).
UNODC asks countries to leave out people held for immigration reasons. Rate per 100,000 from UNODC's population figures (UN World Population Prospects). 40,544 persons held. Latest year in the file. UNODC source codes for this country's series: CTS/External/WPB-ICPR/MoI.
Raw file: data_cts_prisons_and_prisoners.xlsx (UNODC, last updated 12 July 2026; file dated 30 September 2026).
5 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. UNODC publishes the UN-CTS definitions and a metadata note for the dataset.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. National figures sent by governments through the UN crime trends survey (UN-CTS) or other official channels.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
Yes: Raw data downloadable. The whole dataset is a free Excel download from the UNODC data portal.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. UNODC marks no adjustment or estimate for this series.
56%
Prison population rate, Japan, by source · per 100,000 people
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
Show the data as a table
Year
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
2010
56.93
57
2011
54.55
–
2012
52.38
53
2013
49.3
–
2014
47.44
48
2015
45.96
–
2016
44.01
44
2017
41.89
–
2018
39.85
40
2019
38.22
–
2020
36.83
37
2021
35.44
–
2022
33.23
33
2023
32.3
–
2024
32.76
–
2025
–
33
Prison population rate, Brazil
People held in prison, including pre-trial detainees, per 100,000 people. Brazil, Latest available: WPB 2025, UNODC 2024. Unit: per 100,000 people.
316.41per 100,000 people, 2025
65Trust scoreModerate certainty
Score breakdown
Quality36.4 / 40
How well the sources are made
Agreement6.8 / 30
How close the sources are to each other
Independence12 / 20
How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10
How recent the newest data is
How much each source counts
WPB44%
UNODC56%
Sources
Source
Value
Definition
Quality
Weight
World Prison Brief, prison population rateInstitute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck, University of London · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26
4392025
Prison population total including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners, as given on the WPB country page: 964,668 at 31.12.2025 (national prison administration).
Rate per 100,000 as published by WPB, rounded to a whole number, based on an estimated national population of 219.57 million at end of December 2025 (from United Nations figures). Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners: 25.7% of the total (31.12.2025). WPB shows the latest figure it has found, so the date differs from country to country.
Transcribed from the WPB country page (Overview tab, table "Prison population data") into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json; page saved in raw/prison-population-rate/wpb/country/.
4 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. Each country page gives the date, the source and the population used for the rate.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. WPB takes this figure from an official body (national prison administration).
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of the people held (or an annual average), not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Figures are shown only on web pages; WPB offers no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. WPB notes no gap or estimate for this figure.
Persons held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions on one day, which UNODC says is typically 31 December of the year, total for both sexes and all ages, sentenced and unsentenced (pre-trial).
UNODC asks countries to leave out people held for immigration reasons. Rate per 100,000 from UNODC's population figures (UN World Population Prospects). 670,792 persons held. Latest year in the file. UNODC source codes for this country's series: External/CTS/WPB-ICPR/SDG.
Raw file: data_cts_prisons_and_prisoners.xlsx (UNODC, last updated 12 July 2026; file dated 30 September 2026).
5 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. UNODC publishes the UN-CTS definitions and a metadata note for the dataset.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. National figures sent by governments through the UN crime trends survey (UN-CTS) or other official channels.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
Yes: Raw data downloadable. The whole dataset is a free Excel download from the UNODC data portal.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. UNODC marks no adjustment or estimate for this series.
56%
Prison population rate, Brazil, by source · per 100,000 people
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
Show the data as a table
Year
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
2010
265.33
249
2011
273.76
–
2012
289.68
270
2013
305.43
–
2014
303.74
301
2015
346.41
–
2016
355.34
349
2017
352.79
–
2018
361.04
354
2019
364.07
–
2020
–
381
2021
319.94
–
2022
305.81
–
2023
304.54
–
2024
316.41
–
2025
–
439
Prison population rate, United Kingdom (England and Wales)
People held in prison, including pre-trial detainees, per 100,000 people. United Kingdom (England and Wales), Latest available: WPB 2026, UNODC 2022, SPACE 2025. Unit: per 100,000 people.
140per 100,000 people, 2026
82Trust scoreHigh certainty
Score breakdown
Quality32.4 / 40
How well the sources are made
Agreement27.7 / 30
How close the sources are to each other
Independence12 / 20
How many separate ways the number was measured
Freshness10 / 10
How recent the newest data is
How much each source counts
WPB38%
UNODC33%
CoE SPACE29%
Sources
Source
Value
Definition
Quality
Weight
World Prison Brief, prison population rateInstitute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck, University of London · Police and justice recordsRetrieved 2026-10-26
1402026
Prison population total including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners, as given on the WPB country page: 87,499 at 28.9.2026 (Ministry of Justice - not including juveniles in Secure Training Centres and Local Authority Secure Children's Homes, of whom there were 119 at 31.3.2026).
Rate per 100,000 as published by WPB, rounded to a whole number, based on an estimated national population of 62.28 million at end of September 2026 (from Office for National Statistics figures). Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners: 17.9% of the total (30.6.2026). WPB shows the latest figure it has found, so the date differs from country to country.
Transcribed from the WPB country page (Overview tab, table "Prison population data") into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json; page saved in raw/prison-population-rate/wpb/country/.
4 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. Each country page gives the date, the source and the population used for the rate.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. WPB takes this figure from an official body (Ministry of Justice).
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of the people held (or an annual average), not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Figures are shown only on web pages; WPB offers no data file to download.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. WPB notes no gap or estimate for this figure.
Persons held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions on one day, which UNODC says is typically 31 December of the year, total for both sexes and all ages, sentenced and unsentenced (pre-trial).
UNODC asks countries to leave out people held for immigration reasons. Rate per 100,000 from UNODC's population figures (UN World Population Prospects). 80,659 persons held. Latest year in the file. UNODC source codes for this country's series: CTS/SDG.
Raw file: data_cts_prisons_and_prisoners.xlsx (UNODC, last updated 12 July 2026; file dated 30 September 2026).
5 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. UNODC publishes the UN-CTS definitions and a metadata note for the dataset.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. National figures sent by governments through the UN crime trends survey (UN-CTS) or other official channels.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
Yes: Raw data downloadable. The whole dataset is a free Excel download from the UNODC data portal.
Yes: No known break or quality problem. UNODC marks no adjustment or estimate for this series.
Total number of inmates including pre-trial detainees on 31 January 2025 (85,372), per 100,000 inhabitants on 1 January 2025 (60,679,596, from Eurostat unless the report names another source).
Prison administrations that could not give 31 January used the nearest date, listed in the notes to Table 1 of the report. The report's notes to Table 1 give the Ministry of Justice prison population for 31 December 2024 as the source of this count, so it refers to that day rather than 31 January 2025. SPACE also publishes an adjusted rate of 111.8 (67,833 inmates), which removes the special categories listed in its Tables 2.1 and 2.2 (such as people in police custody, psychiatric hospitals, immigration detention, private prisons or under electronic monitoring); the report calls adjusted figures estimates, not official national data.
Same values in Table 3 (printed page 34) of the SPACE I 2025 report (https://wp.unil.ch/space/files/2026/06/260626_rapport-space-i-2025.pdf), row "UK: Engl. & Wales"; transcribed into scripts/prison-population-rate.manual.json.
3 of 5 checks
Yes: Method and definitions published. The report gives standard definitions and lists, country by country, which categories each total includes.
Yes: Official statistics or peer-reviewed. Official Council of Europe statistics from questionnaires answered by national prison administrations.
Yes: Full count or representative sample. A count of everyone held on the reference day, not a sample.
No: Raw data downloadable. Published only as a PDF report and a web table; no data file to download.
No: No known break or quality problem. The population used for the rate comes from ukpopulation.org (a projection for 1 July 2025), not an official statistics office (report p. 12).
29%
Prison population rate, United Kingdom (England and Wales), by source · per 100,000 people
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
Show the data as a table
Year
UNODC Data Portal, persons held in prisons
World Prison Brief, prison population rate
2010
152.63
153
2011
151.99
–
2012
152.11
153
2013
147.22
–
2014
148.95
149
2015
148.9
–
2016
145.82
146
2017
146.16
–
2018
140.02
140
2019
139.15
–
2020
133.15
133
2021
131.42
–
2022
135.34
134
2024
–
143
2026
–
140
All countries
One row each, sorted by name. Each row's score is calculated the same way as the examples above. Click a column heading to sort.
Each value links to its source file. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Unit: per 100,000 people. Rates rounded to two decimals.
Counting day: UNODC asks for the number held on one day, usually 31 December; SPACE counts on 31 January; the World Prison Brief shows the most recent figure it has found, which can be from any day or year, and for a few countries is an average over a year.
Who is included: all three aim to count pre-trial detainees as well as sentenced prisoners. UNODC asks countries to leave out people held for immigration reasons. SPACE asks each prison administration whether its total includes people in police custody, juvenile institutions, psychiatric hospitals, immigration detention or under electronic monitoring, and publishes an adjusted rate without them. WPB takes the national total as published and notes exceptions, such as China counting only sentenced prisoners or the United States including local jails.
Population denominator: UNODC divides by UN World Population Prospects estimates, SPACE by Eurostat population on 1 January (other sources for a few countries), and WPB by national or UN estimates for the date of the count, rounded to a whole number.
Copies: WPB takes many European figures from SPACE, and UNODC fills gaps with WPB figures. Where a source says so, or its count is identical, that line is shown but not counted again.
Common mistakes
Mixing stock and flow: UNODC also publishes "persons entering prison" during a year, which counts admissions, not the number held on one day. (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)
Comparing rates with different bases: some national agencies publish imprisonment rates per 100,000 adults, or for sentenced prisoners only, which are not comparable with rates per 100,000 of the whole population including pre-trial detainees.
Treating SPACE's adjusted rate as the official figure: the report says adjusted figures are comparable estimates, not official national data. (source, retrieved 2026-10-26)