List of countries by incarceration rate

List of countries by incarceration rate

Prison population rates for 2018 from World Prison Brief. See date on map.

This is an alphabetical list of countries and some dependent territories and subnational areas which lays out the incarceration rate of each.

Incarceration rates and counts

List of countries by incarceration rate

The data below is the latest available at the World Prison Brief (WPB) at the time the data was copied here. See the individual WPB country and subnational area pages for more info on data, dates, and much more. WPB notes this: "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."

• Note: Table data fully updated Oct 22, 2024. Some individual countries since then.

<table><thead><tr><th>Location</th><th>Rates</th><th>Number</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Afghanistan</td><td>45</td><td>19,000</td></tr><tr><td>Albania</td><td>168</td><td>4,565</td></tr><tr><td>Algeria</td><td>217</td><td>94,749</td></tr><tr><td>American Samoa (USA)</td><td>538</td><td>301</td></tr><tr><td>Andorra</td><td>60</td><td>51</td></tr><tr><td>Angola</td><td>68</td><td>24,490</td></tr><tr><td>Anguilla (United Kingdom)</td><td>240</td><td>36</td></tr><tr><td>Antigua and Barbuda</td><td>400</td><td>400</td></tr><tr><td>Argentina</td><td>254</td><td>117,810</td></tr><tr><td>Armenia</td><td>83</td><td>2,469</td></tr><tr><td>Aruba (Netherlands)</td><td>288</td><td>311</td></tr><tr><td>Australia</td><td>157</td><td>41,929</td></tr><tr><td>Austria</td><td>101</td><td>9,275</td></tr><tr><td>Azerbaijan</td><td>244</td><td>24,698</td></tr><tr><td>Bahamas</td><td>409</td><td>1,617</td></tr><tr><td>Bahrain</td><td>234</td><td>3,485</td></tr><tr><td>Bangladesh</td><td>50</td><td>84,851</td></tr><tr><td>Barbados</td><td>258</td><td>743</td></tr><tr><td>Belarus</td><td>345</td><td>32,556</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>104</td><td>12,316</td></tr><tr><td>Belize</td><td>289</td><td>1,199</td></tr><tr><td>Benin</td><td>138</td><td>18,170</td></tr><tr><td>Bermuda (United Kingdom)</td><td>200</td><td>124</td></tr><tr><td>Bhutan</td><td>145</td><td>1,119</td></tr><tr><td>Bolivia</td><td>209</td><td>25,291</td></tr><tr><td>Bosnia and Herzegovina: Federation</td><td>79</td><td>1,688</td></tr><tr><td>Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska</td><td>44</td><td>524</td></tr><tr><td>Botswana</td><td>161</td><td>3,971</td></tr><tr><td>Brazil</td><td>392</td><td>850,377</td></tr><tr><td>Brunei</td><td>186</td><td>841</td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>99</td><td>6,378</td></tr><tr><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>39</td><td>8,800</td></tr><tr><td>Burundi</td><td>103</td><td>13,824</td></tr><tr><td>Cambodia</td><td>257</td><td>45,122</td></tr><tr><td>Cameroon</td><td>116</td><td>32,003</td></tr><tr><td>Canada</td><td>90</td><td>35,485</td></tr><tr><td>Cape Verde</td><td>366</td><td>2,100</td></tr><tr><td>Cayman Islands (United Kingdom)</td><td>277</td><td>226</td></tr><tr><td>Central African Republic</td><td>52</td><td>2,678</td></tr><tr><td>Chad</td><td>59</td><td>8,700</td></tr><tr><td>Chile</td><td>306</td><td>58,248</td></tr><tr><td>China</td><td>119</td><td>1,690,000</td></tr><tr><td>Colombia</td><td>200</td><td>103,530</td></tr><tr><td>Comoros</td><td>46</td><td>422</td></tr><tr><td>Republic of the Congo</td><td>27</td><td>1,388</td></tr><tr><td>Cook Islands (New Zealand)</td><td>224</td><td>47</td></tr><tr><td>Costa Rica</td><td>343</td><td>17,829</td></tr><tr><td>Ivory Coast</td><td>91</td><td>25,928</td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>115</td><td>4,445</td></tr><tr><td>Cuba</td><td>794</td><td>90,000</td></tr><tr><td>Curaçao (Netherlands)</td><td>261</td><td>429</td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus)</td><td>103</td><td>966</td></tr><tr><td>Czech Republic</td><td>179</td><td>19,649</td></tr><tr><td>Democratic Republic of the Congo</td><td>46</td><td>44,536</td></tr><tr><td>Denmark</td><td>69</td><td>4,083</td></tr><tr><td>Djibouti</td><td>71</td><td>c. 662</td></tr><tr><td>Dominica</td><td>348</td><td>261</td></tr><tr><td>Dominican Republic</td><td>231</td><td>25,987</td></tr><tr><td>Ecuador</td><td>180</td><td>33,472</td></tr><tr><td>Egypt</td><td>116</td><td>120,000</td></tr><tr><td>El Salvador</td><td>1,659</td><td>109,519</td></tr><tr><td>Equatorial Guinea</td><td>63</td><td>500</td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>129</td><td>1,805</td></tr><tr><td>Eswatini/Swaziland</td><td>243</td><td>3,405</td></tr><tr><td>Ethiopia</td><td>99</td><td>110,000</td></tr><tr><td>Faroe Islands (Denmark)</td><td>23</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>Fiji</td><td>248</td><td>2,276</td></tr><tr><td>Finland</td><td>52</td><td>2,912</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>115</td><td>78,509</td></tr><tr><td>French Guiana (France)</td><td>310</td><td>1,022</td></tr><tr><td>French Polynesia (France)</td><td>200</td><td>575</td></tr><tr><td>Gabon</td><td>228</td><td>5,226</td></tr><tr><td>Gambia</td><td>22</td><td>543</td></tr><tr><td>Georgia</td><td>275</td><td>10,523</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>68</td><td>57,955</td></tr><tr><td>Ghana</td><td>42</td><td>14,361</td></tr><tr><td>Gibraltar (United Kingdom)</td><td>273</td><td>92</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>98</td><td>10,242</td></tr><tr><td>Greenland (Denmark)</td><td>241</td><td>136</td></tr><tr><td>Grenada</td><td>338</td><td>385</td></tr><tr><td>Guadeloupe (France)</td><td>230</td><td>916</td></tr><tr><td>Guam (USA)</td><td>475</td><td>820</td></tr><tr><td>Guatemala</td><td>123</td><td>23,361</td></tr><tr><td>Guernsey (United Kingdom)</td><td>143</td><td>95</td></tr><tr><td>Guinea</td><td>34</td><td>4,375</td></tr><tr><td>Guinea-Bissau</td><td>31</td><td>596</td></tr><tr><td>Guyana</td><td>271</td><td>2,156</td></tr><tr><td>Haiti</td><td>63</td><td>7,523</td></tr><tr><td>Honduras</td><td>189</td><td>19,500</td></tr><tr><td>Hong Kong (China)</td><td>121</td><td>9,079</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>192</td><td>18,270</td></tr><tr><td>Iceland</td><td>35</td><td>140</td></tr><tr><td>India</td><td>41</td><td>573,220</td></tr><tr><td>Indonesia</td><td>96</td><td>273,541</td></tr><tr><td>Iran</td><td>228</td><td>189,000</td></tr><tr><td>Iraq</td><td>179</td><td>73,715</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>91</td><td>4,964</td></tr><tr><td>Isle of Man (United Kingdom)</td><td>153</td><td>132</td></tr><tr><td>Israel</td><td>217</td><td>19,756</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>105</td><td>61,758</td></tr><tr><td>Jamaica</td><td>125</td><td>3,559</td></tr><tr><td>Japan</td><td>33</td><td>40,881</td></tr><tr><td>Jersey (United Kingdom)</td><td>135</td><td>146</td></tr><tr><td>Jordan</td><td>185</td><td>19,140</td></tr><tr><td>Kazakhstan</td><td>184</td><td>35,228</td></tr><tr><td>Kenya</td><td>103</td><td>60,000</td></tr><tr><td>Kiribati</td><td>113</td><td>129</td></tr><tr><td>Kosovo</td><td>99</td><td>1,830</td></tr><tr><td>Kuwait</td><td>101</td><td>4,500</td></tr><tr><td>Kyrgyzstan</td><td>117</td><td>7,633</td></tr><tr><td>Laos</td><td>166</td><td>11,885</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>175</td><td>3,271</td></tr><tr><td>Lebanon</td><td>141</td><td>9,254</td></tr><tr><td>Lesotho</td><td>104</td><td>2,216</td></tr><tr><td>Liberia</td><td>55</td><td>3,000</td></tr><tr><td>Libya</td><td>269</td><td>19,103</td></tr><tr><td>Liechtenstein</td><td>35</td><td>14</td></tr><tr><td>Lithuania</td><td>156</td><td>4,551</td></tr><tr><td>Luxembourg</td><td>89</td><td>600</td></tr><tr><td>Macau (China)</td><td>196</td><td>1,345</td></tr><tr><td>Madagascar</td><td>101</td><td>30,530</td></tr><tr><td>Malawi</td><td>76</td><td>16,366</td></tr><tr><td>Malaysia</td><td>241</td><td>82,144</td></tr><tr><td>Maldives</td><td>314</td><td>1,700</td></tr><tr><td>Mali</td><td>40</td><td>8,670</td></tr><tr><td>Malta</td><td>119</td><td>671</td></tr><tr><td>Marshall Islands</td><td>66</td><td>35</td></tr><tr><td>Martinique (France)</td><td>275</td><td>1,025</td></tr><tr><td>Mauritania</td><td>57</td><td>2,826</td></tr><tr><td>Mauritius</td><td>215</td><td>2,755</td></tr><tr><td>Mayotte (France)</td><td>205</td><td>616</td></tr><tr><td>Mexico</td><td>174</td><td>233,687</td></tr><tr><td>Micronesia</td><td>127</td><td>132</td></tr><tr><td>Moldova</td><td>235</td><td>5,695</td></tr><tr><td>Monaco</td><td>81</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>Mongolia</td><td>183</td><td>5,832</td></tr><tr><td>Montenegro</td><td>170</td><td>1,046</td></tr><tr><td>Morocco</td><td>267</td><td>102,653</td></tr><tr><td>Mozambique</td><td>63</td><td>21,814</td></tr><tr><td>Myanmar</td><td>183</td><td>100,324</td></tr><tr><td>Namibia</td><td>318</td><td>8,900</td></tr><tr><td>Nauru</td><td>345</td><td>38</td></tr><tr><td>  Nepal</td><td>90</td><td>27,550</td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands</td><td>64</td><td>11,537</td></tr><tr><td>New Caledonia (France)</td><td>190</td><td>563</td></tr><tr><td>New Zealand</td><td>181</td><td>9,638</td></tr><tr><td>Nicaragua</td><td>332</td><td>20,918</td></tr><tr><td>Niger</td><td>40</td><td>10,179</td></tr><tr><td>Nigeria</td><td>37</td><td>84,767</td></tr><tr><td>North Korea</td><td>?</td><td>?</td></tr><tr><td>North Macedonia</td><td>140</td><td>2,555</td></tr><tr><td>Northern Mariana Islands (USA)</td><td>304</td><td>170</td></tr><tr><td>Norway</td><td>55</td><td>3,052</td></tr><tr><td>Oman</td><td>46</td><td>1,960</td></tr><tr><td>Pakistan</td><td>38</td><td>87,712</td></tr><tr><td>Palau</td><td>367</td><td>66</td></tr><tr><td>Panama</td><td>522</td><td>23,798</td></tr><tr><td>Papua New Guinea</td><td>57</td><td>5,373</td></tr><tr><td>Paraguay</td><td>239</td><td>17,712</td></tr><tr><td>Peru</td><td>285</td><td>97,605</td></tr><tr><td>Philippines</td><td>162</td><td>180,826</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>194</td><td>70,927</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>115</td><td>12,339</td></tr><tr><td>Puerto Rico (USA)</td><td>177</td><td>5,798</td></tr><tr><td>Qatar</td><td>69</td><td>2,055</td></tr><tr><td>Reunion (France)</td><td>156</td><td>1,440</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>126</td><td>24,106</td></tr><tr><td>Russia</td><td>300</td><td>433,006</td></tr><tr><td>Rwanda</td><td>637</td><td>89,034</td></tr><tr><td>Samoa</td><td>179</td><td>358</td></tr><tr><td>San Marino</td><td>3</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Sao Tome and Principe</td><td>129</td><td>300</td></tr><tr><td>Saudi Arabia</td><td>207</td><td>c. 68,056.</td></tr><tr><td>Senegal</td><td>69</td><td>13,185</td></tr><tr><td>Serbia</td><td>162</td><td>10,787</td></tr><tr><td>Seychelles</td><td>393</td><td>474</td></tr><tr><td>Sierra Leone</td><td>52</td><td>4,453</td></tr><tr><td>Singapore</td><td>156</td><td>9,536</td></tr><tr><td>Sint Maarten (Netherlands)</td><td>196</td><td>87</td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>164</td><td>8,895</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>86</td><td>1,831</td></tr><tr><td>Solomon Islands</td><td>79</td><td>500</td></tr><tr><td>South Africa</td><td>258</td><td>157,056</td></tr><tr><td>South Korea</td><td>103</td><td>52,940</td></tr><tr><td>South Sudan</td><td>58</td><td>8,400</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>117</td><td>56,698</td></tr><tr><td>Sri Lanka</td><td>131</td><td>28,555</td></tr><tr><td>St. Kitts and Nevis</td><td>296</td><td>160</td></tr><tr><td>St. Lucia</td><td>308</td><td>572</td></tr><tr><td>St. Vincent and the Grenadines</td><td>353</td><td>392</td></tr><tr><td>Sudan</td><td>52</td><td>21,000</td></tr><tr><td>Suriname</td><td>185</td><td>1,000</td></tr><tr><td>Sweden</td><td>96</td><td>10,175</td></tr><tr><td> Switzerland</td><td>77</td><td>6,881</td></tr><tr><td>Syria</td><td>60</td><td>10,599</td></tr><tr><td>Taiwan</td><td>250</td><td>58,571</td></tr><tr><td>Tajikistan</td><td>141</td><td>14,000</td></tr><tr><td>Tanzania</td><td>50</td><td>32,671</td></tr><tr><td>Thailand</td><td>391</td><td>274,277</td></tr><tr><td>East Timor</td><td>55</td><td>763</td></tr><tr><td>Togo</td><td>59</td><td>4,990</td></tr><tr><td>Tonga</td><td>516</td><td>557</td></tr><tr><td>Trinidad and Tobago</td><td>276</td><td>3,802</td></tr><tr><td>Tunisia</td><td>196</td><td>23,484</td></tr><tr><td>Turkey</td><td>424</td><td>362,422</td></tr><tr><td>Turkmenistan</td><td>576</td><td>35,000</td></tr><tr><td>Tuvalu</td><td>110</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>Uganda</td><td>152</td><td>76,946</td></tr><tr><td>Ukraine</td><td>130</td><td>44,024</td></tr><tr><td>United Arab Emirates</td><td>104</td><td>9,826</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom: England & Wales</td><td>140</td><td>86,256</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom: Northern Ireland</td><td>99</td><td>1,910</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom: Scotland</td><td>150</td><td>8,274</td></tr><tr><td>United States</td><td>541</td><td>1,808,100</td></tr><tr><td>Uruguay</td><td>449</td><td>15,767</td></tr><tr><td>Uzbekistan</td><td>85</td><td>29,000</td></tr><tr><td>Vanuatu</td><td>65</td><td>195</td></tr><tr><td>Venezuela</td><td>199</td><td>67,200</td></tr><tr><td>Vietnam</td><td>135</td><td>133,986</td></tr><tr><td>British Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)</td><td>368</td><td>114</td></tr><tr><td>United States Virgin Islands (USA)</td><td>251</td><td>261</td></tr><tr><td>Yemen</td><td>14</td><td>4,268</td></tr><tr><td>Zambia</td><td>125</td><td>25,372</td></tr><tr><td>Zimbabwe</td><td>153</td><td>24,068</td></tr></tbody></table>