India vs Nigeria: Prison population rate
India
37 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2023
Nigeria
33 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2025
India rank
194th
Nigeria rank
197th
Prison population rate over time
- India
- Nigeria
How they compare
India currently reports 37 prisoners per 100,000 people against 33 prisoners per 100,000 people in Nigeria, a difference of 4 prisoners per 100,000 people.
That makes India's figure about 1.1 times Nigeria's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 11 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Nigeria ahead.
India ranks 194th and Nigeria ranks 197th of 202 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, India averaged higher in 1 and Nigeria in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.2 prisoners per 100,000 people | 30.4 prisoners per 100,000 people | 0.2 prisoners per 100,000 people | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 31.8 prisoners per 100,000 people | 32.8 prisoners per 100,000 people | 1 prisoners per 100,000 people | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 35 prisoners per 100,000 people | 30 prisoners per 100,000 people | 5 prisoners per 100,000 people | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prison population rate, India or Nigeria?
- India, at 37 prisoners per 100,000 people against 33 prisoners per 100,000 people in Nigeria as of 2023.
- What is the difference in prison population rate between India and Nigeria?
- 4 prisoners per 100,000 people, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and Nigeria?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do India and Nigeria rank globally for prison population rate?
- India ranks 194th 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.