Prison population rate in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Prison population rate was 180 in 2026. ▲ Rising
Latest (2026)
180
World rank
87th
of 202 countries
All-time high
180
in 2026
All-time low
83
in 2016
Years of data
13
2000–2026
Prison population rate in Sri Lanka, 2000–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2026, prison population rate in Sri Lanka stood at 180. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 116.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison population rate in Sri Lanka peaked at 180 in 2026 and was at its lowest, 83, in 2016.
That places Sri Lanka 87th out of 202 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Prison population rate in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 87 | — |
| 2002 | 93 | +6.9% |
| 2004 | 105 | +12.9% |
| 2006 | 114 | +8.6% |
| 2008 | 128 | +12.3% |
| 2010 | 130 | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 112 | -13.8% |
| 2014 | 89 | -20.5% |
| 2016 | 83 | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 96 | +15.7% |
| 2020 | 121 | +26.0% |
| 2022 | 102 | -15.7% |
| 2026 | 180 | +76.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 180 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 216, 83% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 180 is above the median for South Asia, which is 93, 1.9× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 105.4 | 87 | 128 | 5 |
| 2010s | 102 | 83 | 130 | 5 |
| 2020s | 134.33 | 102 | 180 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More population data for Sri Lanka
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.0083 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 21,815 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.1332 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.558 (2100)
- Population density 343.51 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 901,396 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prison population rate in Sri Lanka?
- Prison population rate in Sri Lanka was 180 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest prison population rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 180 in 2026.
- What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 83 in 2016.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for prison population rate?
- Sri Lanka ranks 87th out of 202 countries with data for 2026.
- Is prison population rate rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 116.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from 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).