India vs Japan: Prison population rate
India
37 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2023
Japan
33 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2024
India rank
194th
Japan rank
197th
Prison population rate over time
- India
- Japan
How they compare
India currently reports 37 prisoners per 100,000 people against 33 prisoners per 100,000 people in Japan, a difference of 4 prisoners per 100,000 people.
That makes India's figure about 1.1 times Japan's.
Across all 11 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
India ranks 194th and Japan ranks 197th of 202 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.2 prisoners per 100,000 people | 57.4 prisoners per 100,000 people | 27.2 prisoners per 100,000 people | Japan |
| 2010s | 31.8 prisoners per 100,000 people | 48.4 prisoners per 100,000 people | 16.6 prisoners per 100,000 people | Japan |
| 2020s | 35 prisoners per 100,000 people | 37 prisoners per 100,000 people | 2 prisoners per 100,000 people | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prison population rate, India or Japan?
- India, at 37 prisoners per 100,000 people against 33 prisoners per 100,000 people in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in prison population rate between India and Japan?
- 4 prisoners per 100,000 people, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and Japan?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do India and Japan rank globally for prison population rate?
- India ranks 194th and Japan 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.