United Kingdom vs Zambia: Prison population rate
United Kingdom
139.33 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2025
Zambia
137 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2024
United Kingdom rank
114th
Zambia rank
116th
Prison population rate over time
- United Kingdom
- Zambia
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 139.33 prisoners per 100,000 people against 137 prisoners per 100,000 people in Zambia, a difference of 2.33 prisoners per 100,000 people.
Across all 8 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
United Kingdom ranks 114th and Zambia ranks 116th of 202 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United Kingdom | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 133.58 prisoners per 100,000 people | 119.67 prisoners per 100,000 people | 13.91 prisoners per 100,000 people | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 144.14 prisoners per 100,000 people | 116.75 prisoners per 100,000 people | 27.39 prisoners per 100,000 people | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 130.64 prisoners per 100,000 people | 109 prisoners per 100,000 people | 21.64 prisoners per 100,000 people | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher prison population rate, United Kingdom or Zambia?
- United Kingdom, at 139.33 prisoners per 100,000 people against 137 prisoners per 100,000 people in Zambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in prison population rate between United Kingdom and Zambia?
- 2.33 prisoners per 100,000 people, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United Kingdom and Zambia?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do United Kingdom and Zambia rank globally for prison population rate?
- United Kingdom ranks 114th and Zambia ranks 116th 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.