Incarceration Rate by Country
Prison population per 100,000 people. The US leads developed nations at 531, while Nordic countries imprison far fewer.
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Key Insights
- •US incarcerates 5x the rate of most developed nations
- •Nordic countries have lowest rates among wealthy nations
- •India has very low rate despite large population
Country Rankings
Top 10 Countries
Bottom 10 Countries
Data Analysis
Value Distribution
How countries are distributed across the value range
Regional Comparison
Average values by world region (Global avg: 155.7/100k)
Correlation Analysis
Correlation Analysis
Incarceration Rate vs GDP per Capita
About This Statistic
The incarceration rate measures the number of people held in prisons and jails per 100,000 population. It reflects criminal justice policies, crime rates, and approaches to punishment versus rehabilitation.
The United States has the world's highest incarceration rate among major nations, a result of tough-on-crime policies, mandatory minimums, and the war on drugs. Nordic countries favor rehabilitation and have much lower rates despite similar crime levels.
High incarceration has enormous social and economic costs, affecting families, communities, and government budgets. Many countries are now reconsidering mass incarceration approaches.
Methodology
Data collected from national prison administrations.
Full Data
| Rank ↑ | Country ↕ | Value ↕ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States of America | 531.0/100k |
| 2 | Thailand | 411.0/100k |
| 3 | Brazil | 381.0/100k |
| 4 | Türkiye | 344.0/100k |
| 5 | Russian Federation | 326.0/100k |
| 6 | South Korea | 303.0/100k |
| 7 | South Africa | 231.0/100k |
| 8 | Poland | 194.0/100k |
| 9 | New Zealand | 170.0/100k |
| 10 | Mexico | 168.0/100k |
| 11 | Australia | 160.0/100k |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 129.0/100k |
| 13 | People's Republic of China | 119.0/100k |
| 14 | Spain | 114.0/100k |
| 15 | Portugal | 111.0/100k |
| 16 | France | 93.0/100k |
| 17 | Belgium | 93.0/100k |
| 18 | Austria | 92.0/100k |
| 19 | Italy | 89.0/100k |
| 20 | Canada | 88.0/100k |
| 21 | Egypt | 85.0/100k |
| 22 | Ireland | 76.0/100k |
| 23 | Denmark | 72.0/100k |
| 24 | Sweden | 70.0/100k |
| 25 | Germany | 69.0/100k |
| 26 | Indonesia | 66.0/100k |
| 27 | Netherlands | 59.0/100k |
| 28 | Norway | 54.0/100k |
| 29 | Finland | 51.0/100k |
| 30 | India | 39.0/100k |
| 31 | Japan | 38.0/100k |
Topics
Related Statistics
Homicide Rate
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people. Japan is safest at 0.2, while parts of Latin America and Africa face severe violence.
Corruption Index
Transparency International's score (0-100) where higher means less corrupt. Denmark leads at 90, while many nations score below 30.
GDP per Capita
Gross Domestic Product per person in USD. Luxembourg leads at $135,605, while many developing nations remain below $5,000.
Happiness Index
World Happiness Report score (0-10). Finland tops the rankings at 7.80, known for its social support and work-life balance.
Data Source
This data comes from World Prison Brief / Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2023).
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