Chile vs Nicaragua: Prison population rate

Chile
329 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2025
Nicaragua
332 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2018
Chile rank
26th
Nicaragua rank
25th

Prison population rate over time

  • Chile
  • Nicaragua
100150200250300350200020122025

How they compare

Nicaragua currently reports 332 prisoners per 100,000 people against 329 prisoners per 100,000 people in Chile, a difference of 3 prisoners per 100,000 people.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 9 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Chile ahead.

Chile ranks 26th and Nicaragua ranks 25th of 202 countries.

Chile has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Chile Nicaragua Difference Ahead
2000s 238.8 prisoners per 100,000 people 121 prisoners per 100,000 people 117.8 prisoners per 100,000 people Chile
2010s 256.25 prisoners per 100,000 people 225 prisoners per 100,000 people 31.25 prisoners per 100,000 people Chile

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher prison population rate, Chile or Nicaragua?
Nicaragua, at 332 prisoners per 100,000 people against 329 prisoners per 100,000 people in Chile as of 2018.
What is the difference in prison population rate between Chile and Nicaragua?
3 prisoners per 100,000 people, with Nicaragua ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Chile and Nicaragua?
9 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2018.
How do Chile and Nicaragua rank globally for prison population rate?
Chile ranks 26th and Nicaragua ranks 25th of 202 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Prison population rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Chile vs Nicaragua: Prison population rate. Statizoid, drawing on Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/prison-population-rate/chile/nicaragua/

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<a href="https://population.statizoid.com/compare/prison-population-rate/chile/nicaragua/">Chile vs Nicaragua: Prison population rate</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Prison population rate
Unit
prisoners per 100,000 people
Source
Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
202 places, 2,155 data points, 1993–2026
Last refreshed

Prison population (including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners), per 100,000 population.