Prison population rate in Spain
Spain: Prison population rate was 121 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prison population rate in Spain, 2000–2024
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
Spain recorded 121 prisoners per 100,000 people for prison population rate in 2024.
The figure is up 4.3% on the previous year and down 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison population rate in Spain peaked at 165 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2010 and was at its lowest, 113 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2000.
That places Spain 126th 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 13 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 133.4 prisoners per 100,000 people | 113 prisoners per 100,000 people | 153 prisoners per 100,000 people | 5 |
| 2010s | 144.2 prisoners per 100,000 people | 128 prisoners per 100,000 people | 165 prisoners per 100,000 people | 5 |
| 2020s | 118 prisoners per 100,000 people | 116 prisoners per 100,000 people | 121 prisoners per 100,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More population data for Spain
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.24 million people (2100)
- Population density 66.29 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.1 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 429,333 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.1 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.1 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.2% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.21 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prison population rate in Spain?
- Prison population rate in Spain was 121 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 165 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2010.
- What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 113 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2000.
- How does Spain rank for prison population rate?
- Spain ranks 126th out of 202 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prison population rate rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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.