Iraq vs Sri Lanka: Prison population rate
Iraq
179 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2021
Sri Lanka
180 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2026
Iraq rank
88th
Sri Lanka rank
87th
Prison population rate over time
- Iraq
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 180 prisoners per 100,000 people against 179 prisoners per 100,000 people in Iraq, a difference of 1 prisoners per 100,000 people.
Iraq ranks 88th and Sri Lanka ranks 87th of 202 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Iraq averaged higher in 1 and Sri Lanka in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 77 prisoners per 100,000 people | 121 prisoners per 100,000 people | 44 prisoners per 100,000 people | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 130.5 prisoners per 100,000 people | 121 prisoners per 100,000 people | 9.5 prisoners per 100,000 people | Iraq |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prison population rate, Iraq or Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka, at 180 prisoners per 100,000 people against 179 prisoners per 100,000 people in Iraq as of 2026.
- What is the difference in prison population rate between Iraq and Sri Lanka?
- 1 prisoners per 100,000 people, with Sri Lanka ahead.
- How do Iraq and Sri Lanka rank globally for prison population rate?
- Iraq ranks 88th and Sri Lanka ranks 87th 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.