Prison population rate in Netherlands

Netherlands: Prison population rate was 64 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
64 prisoners per 100,000 people
Change on year
up 4.9%
World rank
171st
of 202 countries
All-time high
125 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2006
All-time low
59 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2016
Years of data
13
2000–2023

Prison population rate in Netherlands, 2000–2023

02550751001252000201120232000: 87 prisoners per 100,000 people2002: 100 prisoners per 100,000 people2004: 123 prisoners per 100,000 people2006: 125 prisoners per 100,000 people2008: 100 prisoners per 100,000 people2010: 92 prisoners per 100,000 people2012: 82 prisoners per 100,000 people2014: 69 prisoners per 100,000 people2016: 59 prisoners per 100,000 people2018: 63 prisoners per 100,000 people2020: 60 prisoners per 100,000 people2022: 61 prisoners per 100,000 people2023: 64 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

The most recent figure for prison population rate in Netherlands is 64 prisoners per 100,000 people, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 4.9% on the previous year and down 22.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prison population rate in Netherlands peaked at 125 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2006 and was at its lowest, 59 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2016.

That places Netherlands 171st out of 202 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 107 prisoners per 100,000 people 87 prisoners per 100,000 people 125 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2010s 73 prisoners per 100,000 people 59 prisoners per 100,000 people 92 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2020s 61.67 prisoners per 100,000 people 60 prisoners per 100,000 people 64 prisoners per 100,000 people 3

Countries ranked near Netherlands

  1. 168 Vanuatu 68 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  2. 169 Marshall Islands 66 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  3. 170 Angola 65 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  4. 172 Mozambique 63 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  5. 173 Liberia 60 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  6. 174 Haiti 59 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  7. 174 Togo 59 prisoners per 100,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More population data for Netherlands

All data for Netherlands →

Frequently asked questions

What is prison population rate in Netherlands?
Prison population rate in Netherlands was 64 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 Netherlands?
The highest recorded value was 125 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2006.
What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Netherlands?
The lowest recorded value was 59 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2016.
How does Netherlands rank for prison population rate?
Netherlands ranks 171st out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
Is prison population rate rising or falling in Netherlands?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Netherlands 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 — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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.