Which country has the largest population in prison?
The United States of America has the maximum number of inmates in prisons – 2,145,100.
The Top 20 countries holding maximum prison inmates:
| Rank | Country | Prison Population |
| 1 | USA | 2,145,100 |
| 2 | China | 1,649,804 |
| 3 | Brazil | 670,111 |
| 4 | Russian Federation | 602,176 |
| 5 | India | 419,623 |
| 6 | Thailand | 325,298 |
| 7 | Indonesia | 232,063 |
| 8 | Turkey | 229,790 |
| 9 | Iran | 225,624 |
| 10 | Mexico | 208,689 |
| 11 | Philippines | 178,661 |
| 12 | South Africa | 161,054 |
| 13 | Colombia | 115,383 |
| 14 | Vietnam | 115,035 |
| 15 | Ethiopia | 113,727 |
| 16 | Egypt | 106,000 |
| 17 | Peru | 85,621 |
| 18 | United (England & Wales) | 84,537 |
| 19 | Pakistan | 84,315 |
| 20 | Morocco | 80,000 |
The United States has a population of 328.2 million, one-fourth of China’s, but holds nearly 500,000 inmates more than China. China has a population of 1.42 billion and is closely followed by India, at 1.34 billion. But China holds almost four times the number of inmates than India. Thailand has a population of 68.6 million but holds a higher number of inmates as compared to Indonesia, which has a population of 266.4 million, nearly four times the size of Thailand.
North Korea does not make it to the list as no official records are available for that country.
The Top 20 countries with Prison Population Rate per 100,000:
| Rank | Country | Prison Population Rate per 100,000 |
| 1 | Seychelles | 738 |
| 2 | USA | 666 |
| 3 | El Salvador | 614 |
| 4 | Turkmenistan | 583 |
| 5 | Virgin Islands (USA) | 542 |
| 6 | Maldives | 514 |
| 7 | Cuba | 510 |
| 8 | Northern Marianna Islands (USA) | 482 |
| 9 | Thailand | 471 |
| 10 | Bahamas | 439 |
| 11 | Guam (USA) | 438 |
| 12 | Grenada | 435 |
| 13 | Rwanda | 434 |
| 14 | Virgin Islands (UK) | 425 |
| 15 | Russian Federation | 410 |
| 16 | Panama | 393 |
| 16 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 393 |
| 17 | St. Vincent and Grenadines | 378 |
| 18 | Costa Rica | 374 |
| 19 | Cayman Islands (UK) | 359 |
The numbers change significantly when prison population per 100,000 people is considered. Seychelles holds Somali pirates in their prisons, and this inflates the statistics against the nation. These pirates are initially tried in Seychelles and later transferred to their home countries. Most island countries with small population rank high on this list.
In China’s case, a country with 1.42 billion people, the largest population in the world, holds the second largest number of prison inmates (as per available data). However, it ranks 134th in the world in population ratio ranking per 100,000 with 118 inmates.
Top 20 countries by Pre-trial detainees / Remand detainees as a percentage of total inmates:
| Rank | Country | Pre-trial detainees % |
| 1 | San Marino | 100 |
| 2 | Libya | 90 |
| 3 | Paraguay | 77.9 |
| 3 | Bangladesh | 77.9 |
| 4 | Benin | 74.9 |
| 5 | Philippines | 74.4 |
| 6 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 73 |
| 7 | Haiti | 72 |
| 8 | Venezuela | 71.3 |
| 9 | Cambodia | 70.6 |
| 10 | The central African Republic | 70.2 |
| 11 | Yemen | 70.1 |
| 12 | Uruguay | 69.7 |
| 13 | Andorra | 69.2 |
| 14 | Pakistan | 69.1 |
| 15 | Bolivia | 69 |
| 16 | Monaco | 67.9 |
| 17 | Guinea Bissau | 67.9 |
| 18 | Nigeria | 67.5 |
| 19 | India | 67.2 |
Visit the following to learn more about Crime and Prisons:
Related Maps:
