Prison population rate in Vanuatu

Vanuatu: Prison population rate was 68 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
68 prisoners per 100,000 people
World rank
168th
of 202 countries
All-time high
86 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 2020
All-time low
25 prisoners per 100,000 people
in 1999
Years of data
11
1999–2024

Prison population rate in Vanuatu, 1999–2024

204060801999201120241999: 25 prisoners per 100,000 people2002: 49 prisoners per 100,000 people2005: 66 prisoners per 100,000 people2007: 56 prisoners per 100,000 people2009: 74 prisoners per 100,000 people2012: 75 prisoners per 100,000 people2014: 58 prisoners per 100,000 people2016: 71 prisoners per 100,000 people2018: 72 prisoners per 100,000 people2020: 86 prisoners per 100,000 people2024: 68 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

Vanuatu recorded 68 prisoners per 100,000 people for prison population rate in 2024.

That represents a change of up 17.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prison population rate in Vanuatu peaked at 86 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 25 prisoners per 100,000 people, in 1999.

Vanuatu ranks 168th of 202 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25 prisoners per 100,000 people 25 prisoners per 100,000 people 25 prisoners per 100,000 people 1
2000s 61.25 prisoners per 100,000 people 49 prisoners per 100,000 people 74 prisoners per 100,000 people 4
2010s 69 prisoners per 100,000 people 58 prisoners per 100,000 people 75 prisoners per 100,000 people 4
2020s 77 prisoners per 100,000 people 68 prisoners per 100,000 people 86 prisoners per 100,000 people 2

Countries ranked near Vanuatu

  1. 165 Denmark 69 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  2. 165 Qatar 69 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  3. 165 Slovenia 69 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  4. 169 Marshall Islands 66 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  5. 170 Angola 65 prisoners per 100,000 people compare
  6. 171 Netherlands 64 prisoners per 100,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More population data for Vanuatu

All data for Vanuatu →

Frequently asked questions

What is prison population rate in Vanuatu?
Prison population rate in Vanuatu was 68 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 Vanuatu?
The highest recorded value was 86 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2020.
What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Vanuatu?
The lowest recorded value was 25 prisoners per 100,000 people in 1999.
How does Vanuatu rank for prison population rate?
Vanuatu ranks 168th out of 202 countries with data for 2024.
Is prison population rate rising or falling in Vanuatu?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Vanuatu 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

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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.