Gambia vs Nigeria: Prison population rate
Gambia
22 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2021
Nigeria
33 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2025
Gambia rank
200th
Nigeria rank
197th
Prison population rate over time
- Gambia
- Nigeria
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 33 prisoners per 100,000 people against 22 prisoners per 100,000 people in Gambia, a difference of 11 prisoners per 100,000 people.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.5 times Gambia's.
Gambia ranks 200th and Nigeria ranks 197th of 202 countries.
Gambia has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Gambia | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34 prisoners per 100,000 people | 31 prisoners per 100,000 people | 3 prisoners per 100,000 people | Gambia |
| 2010s | 55 prisoners per 100,000 people | 32 prisoners per 100,000 people | 23 prisoners per 100,000 people | Gambia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prison population rate, Gambia or Nigeria?
- Nigeria, at 33 prisoners per 100,000 people against 22 prisoners per 100,000 people in Gambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in prison population rate between Gambia and Nigeria?
- 11 prisoners per 100,000 people, with Nigeria ahead.
- How do Gambia and Nigeria rank globally for prison population rate?
- Gambia ranks 200th and Nigeria ranks 197th 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.