China vs Portugal: Prison population rate
China
119 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2018
Portugal
121 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2025
China rank
128th
Portugal rank
126th
Prison population rate over time
- China
- Portugal
How they compare
Portugal currently reports 121 prisoners per 100,000 people against 119 prisoners per 100,000 people in China, a difference of 2 prisoners per 100,000 people.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 9 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Portugal ahead.
China ranks 128th and Portugal ranks 126th of 202 countries.
Portugal has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Portugal | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 117.6 prisoners per 100,000 people | 121.2 prisoners per 100,000 people | 3.6 prisoners per 100,000 people | Portugal |
| 2010s | 119.5 prisoners per 100,000 people | 125 prisoners per 100,000 people | 5.5 prisoners per 100,000 people | Portugal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prison population rate, China or Portugal?
- Portugal, at 121 prisoners per 100,000 people against 119 prisoners per 100,000 people in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in prison population rate between China and Portugal?
- 2 prisoners per 100,000 people, with Portugal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Portugal?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2018.
- How do China and Portugal rank globally for prison population rate?
- China ranks 128th and Portugal ranks 126th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
Prison population (including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners), per 100,000 population.