Prison population rate in Poland
Poland: Prison population rate was 191 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2025. ▼ Falling
Prison population rate in Poland, 2000–2025
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 2025, prison population rate in Poland stood at 191 prisoners per 100,000 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison population rate in Poland peaked at 232 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2006 and was at its lowest, 179 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2020.
Poland ranks 80th of 202 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 211.2 prisoners per 100,000 people | 184 prisoners per 100,000 people | 232 prisoners per 100,000 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 203 prisoners per 100,000 people | 188 prisoners per 100,000 people | 221 prisoners per 100,000 people | 5 |
| 2020s | 186.67 prisoners per 100,000 people | 179 prisoners per 100,000 people | 191 prisoners per 100,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Poland
- 79 Jordan 194 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
- 81 Honduras 188 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
- 81 Mexico 188 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
- 83 Isle of Man 186 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
- 83 New Caledonia 186 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
More population data for Poland
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 624,863 people (2100)
- Population density 63.15 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.14 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 1.01 million people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.14 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.14 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.2% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.3 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prison population rate in Poland?
- Prison population rate in Poland was 191 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2025, 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 Poland?
- The highest recorded value was 232 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2006.
- What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Poland?
- The lowest recorded value was 179 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2020.
- How does Poland rank for prison population rate?
- Poland ranks 80th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is prison population rate rising or falling in Poland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Poland 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
Prison population (including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners), per 100,000 population.