Prison population rate in East Timor

East Timor: Prison population rate was 55 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
55 prisoners per 100,000 people
Change on year
up 3.8%
World rank
179th
of 202 countries
All-time high
55 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2021
All-time low
17 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2008
Years of data
7
2008–2021

Prison population rate in East Timor, 2008–2021

20304050602008201420212008: 17 prisoners per 100,000 people2011: 23 prisoners per 100,000 people2013: 36 prisoners per 100,000 people2015: 47 prisoners per 100,000 people2017: 51 prisoners per 100,000 people2019: 53 prisoners per 100,000 people2021: 55 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

In 2021, prison population rate in East Timor stood at 55 prisoners per 100,000 people. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.8% on the previous year and up 139.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prison population rate in East Timor peaked at 55 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 17 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 2008.

That places East Timor 179th out of 202 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17 prisoners per 100,000 people 17 prisoners per 100,000 people 17 prisoners per 100,000 people 1
2010s 42 prisoners per 100,000 people 23 prisoners per 100,000 people 53 prisoners per 100,000 people 5
2020s 55 prisoners per 100,000 people 55 prisoners per 100,000 people 55 prisoners per 100,000 people 1

Countries ranked near East Timor

  1. 176 Mauritania 57 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  2. 176 Papua New Guinea 57 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  3. 178 Chad 56 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  4. 179 Niger 55 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  5. 181 Afghanistan 54 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  6. 181 Finland 54 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  7. 181 Norway 54 prisoners per 100,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More population data for East Timor

All data for East Timor →

Frequently asked questions

What is prison population rate in East Timor?
Prison population rate in East Timor was 55 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2021, 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 East Timor?
The highest recorded value was 55 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2021.
What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in East Timor?
The lowest recorded value was 17 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2008.
How does East Timor rank for prison population rate?
East Timor ranks 179th out of 202 countries with data for 2021.
Is prison population rate rising or falling in East Timor?
Over the last ten years it is up 139.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this East Timor 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.