Prison population rate in Singapore

Singapore: Prison population rate was 178 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
178 prisoners per 100,000 people
World rank
91st
of 202 countries
All-time high
394 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2002
All-time low
178 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2024
Years of data
12
2000–2024

Prison population rate in Singapore, 2000–2024

01002003004002000201220242000: 352 prisoners per 100,000 people2002: 394 prisoners per 100,000 people2004: 385 prisoners per 100,000 people2006: 262 prisoners per 100,000 people2008: 244 prisoners per 100,000 people2010: 250 prisoners per 100,000 people2012: 234 prisoners per 100,000 people2014: 227 prisoners per 100,000 people2016: 213 prisoners per 100,000 people2018: 199 prisoners per 100,000 people2020: 185 prisoners per 100,000 people2024: 178 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

Singapore recorded 178 prisoners per 100,000 people for prison population rate in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.

The figure is down 21.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prison population rate in Singapore peaked at 394 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2002 and was at its lowest, 178 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2024.

That places Singapore 91st out of 202 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 327.4 prisoners per 100,000 people 244 prisoners per 100,000 people 394 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2010s 224.6 prisoners per 100,000 people 199 prisoners per 100,000 people 250 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2020s 181.5 prisoners per 100,000 people 178 prisoners per 100,000 people 185 prisoners per 100,000 people 2

Countries ranked near Singapore

  1. 88 Czechia 179 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  2. 88 Iraq 179 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  3. 88 Samoa 179 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  4. 92 Puerto Rico 177 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  5. 92 Serbia 177 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  6. 94 Latvia 175 prisoners per 100,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More population data for Singapore

All data for Singapore →

Frequently asked questions

What is prison population rate in Singapore?
Prison population rate in Singapore was 178 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024, 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 Singapore?
The highest recorded value was 394 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2002.
What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Singapore?
The lowest recorded value was 178 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024.
How does Singapore rank for prison population rate?
Singapore ranks 91st out of 202 countries with data for 2024.
Is prison population rate rising or falling in Singapore?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Singapore 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.