Prison population rate in Belarus

Belarus: Prison population rate was 345 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
345 prisoners per 100,000 people
Change on year
down 6.8%
World rank
21st
of 202 countries
All-time high
566 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2000
All-time low
305 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2012
Years of data
10
2000–2018

Prison population rate in Belarus, 2000–2018

02004006002000200920182000: 566 prisoners per 100,000 people2002: 518 prisoners per 100,000 people2004: 437 prisoners per 100,000 people2006: 468 prisoners per 100,000 people2008: 459 prisoners per 100,000 people2010: 418 prisoners per 100,000 people2012: 305 prisoners per 100,000 people2014: 314 prisoners per 100,000 people2016: 370 prisoners per 100,000 people2018: 345 prisoners per 100,000 people

Source: Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in prisoners per 100,000 people.

Analysis

In 2018, prison population rate in Belarus stood at 345 prisoners per 100,000 people.

That represents a change of down 6.8% on the previous year and down 24.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prison population rate in Belarus peaked at 566 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 305 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2012.

Belarus ranks 21st of 202 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 489.6 prisoners per 100,000 people 437 prisoners per 100,000 people 566 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2010s 350.4 prisoners per 100,000 people 305 prisoners per 100,000 people 418 prisoners per 100,000 people 5

Countries ranked near Belarus

  1. 18 Palau 367 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  2. 19 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 361 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  3. 20 Dominica 356 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  4. 21 Costa Rica 345 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  5. 21 Nauru 345 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  6. 24 Bahamas 336 prisoners per 100,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More population data for Belarus

All data for Belarus →

Frequently asked questions

What is prison population rate in Belarus?
Prison population rate in Belarus was 345 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2018, according to Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest prison population rate recorded in Belarus?
The highest recorded value was 566 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2000.
What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Belarus?
The lowest recorded value was 305 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2012.
How does Belarus rank for prison population rate?
Belarus ranks 21st out of 202 countries with data for 2018.
Is prison population rate rising or falling in Belarus?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belarus data come from?
The figures 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 part of Prison population rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Prison population rate
Unit
prisoners per 100,000 people
Source
Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
202 places, 2,155 data points, 1993–2026
Last refreshed

Prison population (including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners), per 100,000 population.