Prison population rate in South Korea
South Korea: Prison population rate was 115 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prison population rate in South Korea, 2000–2023
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
South Korea recorded 115 prisoners per 100,000 people for prison population rate in 2023.
That represents a change of up 9.5% on the previous year and up 25.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison population rate in South Korea peaked at 136 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 92 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2012.
South Korea ranks 134th of 202 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 116.4 prisoners per 100,000 people | 96 prisoners per 100,000 people | 136 prisoners per 100,000 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 101.8 prisoners per 100,000 people | 92 prisoners per 100,000 people | 112 prisoners per 100,000 people | 5 |
| 2020s | 110 prisoners per 100,000 people | 105 prisoners per 100,000 people | 115 prisoners per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 132 Lesotho 117 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
- 133 Ukraine 116 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
- 134 Croatia 115 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
- 136 Cyprus 114 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
- 137 Belgium 113 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
- 137 Kiribati 113 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
More population data for South Korea
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.4% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 599,530 people (2100)
- Population density 223.86 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -1.4% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 0.748 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 4,241 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 0.748 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 0.748 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.2% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 0.72 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prison population rate in South Korea?
- Prison population rate in South Korea was 115 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2023, 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 136 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 92 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2012.
- How does South Korea rank for prison population rate?
- South Korea ranks 134th out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prison population rate rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Prison population (including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners), per 100,000 population.