Prison population in Ireland

Ireland: Prison population was 3,321 Number in 2007. ▲ Rising

Latest (2007)
3,321 Number
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
34th
of 43 countries
All-time high
3,321 Number
in 2007
All-time low
2,032 Number
in 1995
Years of data
15
1993–2007

Prison population in Ireland, 1993–2007

01.0k2.0k3.0k1993200020071993: 2.8k Number1994: 2.1k Number1995: 2.0k Number1996: 2.1k Number1997: 2.4k Number1998: 2.6k Number1999: 2.7k Number2000: 2.9k Number2001: 3.0k Number2002: 3.0k Number2003: 3.0k Number2004: 3.1k Number2005: 3.2k Number2006: 3.2k Number2007: 3.3k Number

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Number.

Analysis

In 2007, prison population in Ireland stood at 3,321 Number. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.1% on the previous year and up 37.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prison population in Ireland peaked at 3,321 Number in 2007 and was at its lowest, 2,032 Number, in 1995.

That places Ireland 34th out of 43 countries with data for 2007, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Prison population in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Prison population (1993-2007) in Ireland, 1993 to 2007.
Year Number Change
1993 2,801 Number
1994 2,053 Number -26.7%
1995 2,032 Number -1.0%
1996 2,139 Number +5.3%
1997 2,424 Number +13.3%
1998 2,620 Number +8.1%
1999 2,741 Number +4.6%
2000 2,887 Number +5.3%
2001 3,025 Number +4.8%
2002 3,028 Number +0.1%
2003 2,986 Number -1.4%
2004 3,138 Number +5.1%
2005 3,151 Number +0.4%
2006 3,191 Number +1.3%
2007 3,321 Number +4.1%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 3,321 Number is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,770 Number, 43% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 3,321 Number is below the median for high income countries, which is 7,770 Number, 43% of the median. (31 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Prison population in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1994 -26.7% 2,801 Number 2,053 Number

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2,401 Number 2,032 Number 2,801 Number 7
2000s 3,091 Number 2,887 Number 3,321 Number 8

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 32 Norway 3,420 Number compare
  2. 33 Finland 3,370 Number compare
  3. 35 North Macedonia 2,050 Number compare
  4. 36 Slovenia 1,336 Number compare
  5. 36 Slovenia 1,336 Number compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More population data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is prison population in Ireland?
Prison population in Ireland was 3,321 Number in 2007, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest prison population recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 3,321 Number in 2007.
What is the lowest prison population recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 2,032 Number in 1995.
How does Ireland rank for prison population?
Ireland ranks 34th out of 43 countries with data for 2007.
Is prison population rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 37.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Prison population (1993-2007). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prison population in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/prison-population-1993-2007/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Prison population (1993-2007)
Unit
Number
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
46 places, 641 data points, 1993–2007
Last refreshed