Ethiopia vs Kenya: Prison population rate
Ethiopia
99 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2020
Kenya
100 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2024
Ethiopia rank
145th
Kenya rank
144th
Prison population rate over time
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
How they compare
Kenya currently reports 100 prisoners per 100,000 people against 99 prisoners per 100,000 people in Ethiopia, a difference of 1 prisoners per 100,000 people.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 8 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Kenya ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 145th and Kenya ranks 144th of 202 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 2 and Kenya in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | Kenya | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 96.8 prisoners per 100,000 people | 127 prisoners per 100,000 people | 30.2 prisoners per 100,000 people | Kenya |
| 2010s | 131.5 prisoners per 100,000 people | 120.5 prisoners per 100,000 people | 11 prisoners per 100,000 people | Ethiopia |
| 2020s | 99 prisoners per 100,000 people | 81 prisoners per 100,000 people | 18 prisoners per 100,000 people | Ethiopia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prison population rate, Ethiopia or Kenya?
- Kenya, at 100 prisoners per 100,000 people against 99 prisoners per 100,000 people in Ethiopia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in prison population rate between Ethiopia and Kenya?
- 1 prisoners per 100,000 people, with Kenya ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Kenya?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do Ethiopia and Kenya rank globally for prison population rate?
- Ethiopia ranks 145th and Kenya ranks 144th 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.