Prison population rate in Taiwan

Taiwan: Prison population rate was 270 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
270 prisoners per 100,000 people
Change on year
up 15.4%
World rank
45th
of 202 countries
All-time high
283 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2012
All-time low
234 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2022
Years of data
13
2000–2025

Prison population rate in Taiwan, 2000–2025

01002003002000201220252000: 254 prisoners per 100,000 people2002: 251 prisoners per 100,000 people2004: 250 prisoners per 100,000 people2006: 276 prisoners per 100,000 people2008: 274 prisoners per 100,000 people2010: 282 prisoners per 100,000 people2012: 283 prisoners per 100,000 people2014: 271 prisoners per 100,000 people2016: 265 prisoners per 100,000 people2018: 268 prisoners per 100,000 people2020: 248 prisoners per 100,000 people2022: 234 prisoners per 100,000 people2025: 270 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

Taiwan recorded 270 prisoners per 100,000 people for prison population rate in 2025.

That represents a change of up 15.4% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prison population rate in Taiwan peaked at 283 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2012 and was at its lowest, 234 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2022.

That places Taiwan 45th out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 261 prisoners per 100,000 people 250 prisoners per 100,000 people 276 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2010s 273.8 prisoners per 100,000 people 265 prisoners per 100,000 people 283 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2020s 250.67 prisoners per 100,000 people 234 prisoners per 100,000 people 270 prisoners per 100,000 people 3

Countries ranked near Taiwan

  1. 42 Cayman Islands 280 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  2. 43 Trinidad and Tobago 276 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  3. 44 Gibraltar 273 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  4. 46 Libya 269 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  5. 47 Morocco 267 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  6. 47 Tunisia 267 prisoners per 100,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More population data for Taiwan

All data for Taiwan →

Frequently asked questions

What is prison population rate in Taiwan?
Prison population rate in Taiwan was 270 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 Taiwan?
The highest recorded value was 283 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2012.
What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Taiwan?
The lowest recorded value was 234 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2022.
How does Taiwan rank for prison population rate?
Taiwan ranks 45th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
Is prison population rate rising or falling in Taiwan?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Taiwan 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.