El Salvador vs United States: Prison population rate
El Salvador
1,659
in 2024
United States
542
in 2023
El Salvador rank
1st
United States rank
4th
Prison population rate over time
- El Salvador
- United States
How they compare
El Salvador currently reports 1,659 against 542 in United States, a difference of 1,117.
That makes El Salvador's figure about 3.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 11 shared years of data; in 2000 it was United States ahead.
El Salvador ranks 1st and United States ranks 4th of 202 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, El Salvador averaged higher in 1 and United States in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | El Salvador | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 216.6 | 723.6 | 507 | United States |
| 2010s | 495.6 | 687.8 | 192.2 | United States |
| 2020s | 572 | 505 | 67 | El Salvador |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prison population rate, El Salvador or United States?
- El Salvador, at 1,659 against 542 in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in prison population rate between El Salvador and United States?
- 1,117, with El Salvador ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for El Salvador and United States?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do El Salvador and United States rank globally for prison population rate?
- El Salvador ranks 1st and United States ranks 4th of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Prison population rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.