South Korea vs Lesotho: Prison population rate
South Korea
115 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2023
Lesotho
117 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2025
South Korea rank
134th
Lesotho rank
132nd
Prison population rate over time
- South Korea
- Lesotho
How they compare
Lesotho currently reports 117 prisoners per 100,000 people against 115 prisoners per 100,000 people in South Korea, a difference of 2 prisoners per 100,000 people.
Across all 8 years both countries report, Lesotho has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 134th and Lesotho ranks 132nd of 202 countries.
Lesotho has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Lesotho | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 116.4 prisoners per 100,000 people | 146 prisoners per 100,000 people | 29.6 prisoners per 100,000 people | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 96.33 prisoners per 100,000 people | 118 prisoners per 100,000 people | 21.67 prisoners per 100,000 people | Lesotho |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prison population rate, South Korea or Lesotho?
- Lesotho, at 117 prisoners per 100,000 people against 115 prisoners per 100,000 people in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in prison population rate between South Korea and Lesotho?
- 2 prisoners per 100,000 people, with Lesotho ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Lesotho?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2014.
- How do South Korea and Lesotho rank globally for prison population rate?
- South Korea ranks 134th and Lesotho ranks 132nd 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.