Based on recent estimates, as of 2021, the top 10 countries by highest prison population rates (number of prisoners per 100,000 people) are:
- United States (639 prisoners per 100,000 people)
- El Salvador (536 prisoners per 100,000 people)
- Thailand (478 prisoners per 100,000 people)
- Turkmenistan (467 prisoners per 100,000 people)
- Cuba (454 prisoners per 100,000 people)
- Belize (431 prisoners per 100,000 people)
- Virgin Islands (423 prisoners per 100,000 people)
- Seychelles (418 prisoners per 100,000 people)
- St. Kitts and Nevis (408 prisoners per 100,000 people)
- Rwanda (402 prisoners per 100,000 people)
Top Ten Countries by Prison Population Rates 2017
|
S. No. |
Country |
prison population rates per 100,000 |
1 |
Seychelles |
799 |
2 |
United States of America |
666 |
3 |
Turkmenistan |
583 |
4 |
El Salvador |
574 |
5 |
Virgin Islands (USA) |
542 |
6 |
Cuba |
510 |
7 |
Guam (USA) |
438 |
8 |
Russian Federation |
436 |
9 |
Rwanda |
434 |
10 |
Thailand |
428 |
Other Countries by Prison Population Rates 2017
|
S. No. |
Country |
prison population rates per 100,000 |
11 |
Panama |
426 |
12 |
Virgin Islands (United Kingdom) |
425 |
13 |
Grenada |
421 |
13 |
Maldives |
421 |
15 |
Belize |
410 |
16 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
403 |
17 |
St. Kitts and Nevis |
391 |
18 |
American Samoa (USA) |
380 |
19 |
St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
378 |
20 |
Cayman Islands (United Kingdom) |
369 |
21 |
Bahamas |
363 |
22 |
Bermuda (United Kingdom) |
354 |
23 |
Costa Rica |
352 |
24 |
Puerto Rico (USA) |
349 |
25 |
Sint Maarten (Netherlands) |
347 |
26 |
Palau |
343 |
27 |
Northern Mariana Islands (USA) |
337 |
28 |
St. Lucia |
327 |
29 |
French Guiana/Guyane (France) |
326 |
30 |
Barbados |
322 |
31 |
Belarus |
314 |
32 |
Anguilla (United Kingdom) |
307 |
32 |
Brazil |
307 |
34 |
Bahrain |
301 |
35 |
Dominica |
300 |
36 |
Uruguay |
291 |
36 |
South Africa |
291 |
38 |
Iran |
287 |
39 |
Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) |
286 |
40 |
eSwatini (Swaziland) |
282 |
41 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
272 |
42 |
Mongolia |
266 |
43 |
Taiwan |
266 |
44 |
Israel |
265 |
45 |
Georgia |
263 |
46 |
Samoa (formerly Western Samoa) |
258 |
47 |
Peru |
257 |
48 |
Guyana |
256 |
49 |
Turkey |
254 |
50 |
Lithuania |
254 |
Source : World Prison Brief, Institute for Criminal Policy Research