Prison population rate in Palau

Palau: Prison population rate was 367 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
367 prisoners per 100,000 people
World rank
18th
of 202 countries
All-time high
695 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2009
All-time low
367 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
11
2001–2023

Prison population rate in Palau, 2001–2023

02004006002001201220232001: 368 prisoners per 100,000 people2003: 505 prisoners per 100,000 people2005: 485 prisoners per 100,000 people2007: 555 prisoners per 100,000 people2009: 695 prisoners per 100,000 people2011: 511 prisoners per 100,000 people2013: 572 prisoners per 100,000 people2015: 400 prisoners per 100,000 people2017: 483 prisoners per 100,000 people2019: 522 prisoners per 100,000 people2023: 367 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

Palau recorded 367 prisoners per 100,000 people for prison population rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 35.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prison population rate in Palau peaked at 695 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2009 and was at its lowest, 367 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2023.

That places Palau 18th out of 202 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 521.6 prisoners per 100,000 people 368 prisoners per 100,000 people 695 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2010s 497.6 prisoners per 100,000 people 400 prisoners per 100,000 people 572 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2020s 367 prisoners per 100,000 people 367 prisoners per 100,000 people 367 prisoners per 100,000 people 1

Countries ranked near Palau

  1. 15 Thailand 395 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  2. 16 Seychelles 392 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  3. 17 Eswatini 369 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  4. 19 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 361 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  5. 20 Dominica 356 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  6. 21 Belarus 345 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  7. 21 Costa Rica 345 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  8. 21 Nauru 345 prisoners per 100,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More population data for Palau

All data for Palau →

Frequently asked questions

What is prison population rate in Palau?
Prison population rate in Palau was 367 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 Palau?
The highest recorded value was 695 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2009.
What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Palau?
The lowest recorded value was 367 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2023.
How does Palau rank for prison population rate?
Palau ranks 18th out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
Is prison population rate rising or falling in Palau?
Over the last ten years it is down 35.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Palau 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 — 11 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.