Unsentenced detainees as proportion of prison population by country
Countries reporting
152
Highest
84
Haiti
Lowest
3.16
Namibia
Median
29.57
Years covered
24
2001–2024
Data points
2,233
What the numbers show
Unsentenced detainees as proportion of prison population is currently reported for 152 countries. The highest value is 84 in Haiti; the lowest is 3.16 in Namibia.
The median across all reporting countries is 29.57, and the mean is 33.64.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 27.
Over the past decade 85 countries rose and 67 fell. The largest increase was in Slovenia (up 480.6%), and the largest decrease in Uruguay (down 87.0%).
Unsentenced detainees as proportion of prison population: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haiti | 84 | 2024 | up 18.9% | falling |
| 2 | India | 75.77 | 2022 | up 14.5% | rising |
| 3 | Bangladesh | 75.62 | 2022 | up 10.7% | rising |
| 4 | Saint Lucia | 69.4 | 2023 | up 69.9% | rising |
| 5 | Pakistan | 67.65 | 2021 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 6 | Nigeria | 66.84 | 2024 | down 3.0% | flat |
| 7 | Paraguay | 66.48 | 2023 | down 8.0% | flat |
| 8 | Sri Lanka | 66.24 | 2024 | up 81.8% | rising |
| 9 | Philippines | 65.23 | 2022 | up 4.9% | flat |
| 10 | Niger | 64.67 | 2023 | up 35.6% | rising |
| 11 | Faroe Islands | 63.64 | 2020 | up 409.1% | volatile |
| 12 | Trinidad and Tobago | 62.27 | 2020 | up 37.2% | rising |
| 13 | Bolivia | 60.73 | 2024 | down 25.8% | falling |
| 14 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 60.56 | 2022 | up 94.0% | rising |
| 15 | Liberia | 60.51 | 2021 | down 22.7% | falling |
| 16 | Grenada | 60.28 | 2022 | up 135.8% | rising |
| 17 | Benin | 59.88 | 2021 | down 20.1% | falling |
| 18 | Yemen | 59.05 | 2017 | up 72.6% | rising |
| 19 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 58.78 | 2023 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 20 | Dominica | 57.14 | 2022 | up 193.9% | rising |
| 21 | Dominican Republic | 56.33 | 2024 | up 4.9% | falling |
| 22 | Guinea | 55.54 | 2024 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 23 | Cameroon | 55.52 | 2024 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 24 | Tunisia | 54.85 | 2021 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 25 | Senegal | 53.82 | 2023 | up 29.9% | rising |
| 26 | Armenia | 53.34 | 2023 | up 102.2% | rising |
| 27 | Burundi | 53.07 | 2024 | up 0.3% | falling |
| 28 | Barbados | 52.6 | 2022 | up 23.5% | rising |
| 29 | Luxembourg | 52.27 | 2023 | up 28.4% | rising |
| 30 | Guyana | 52.26 | 2023 | up 46.8% | rising |
| 31 | Andorra | 52.17 | 2022 | up 10.5% | flat |
| 32 | Sierra Leone | 51.13 | 2024 | down 12.3% | rising |
| 33 | Tanzania | 50.04 | 2021 | up 6.2% | flat |
| 34 | Honduras | 49.23 | 2023 | down 4.9% | falling |
| 35 | Angola | 48.46 | 2024 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 36 | Montenegro | 48.28 | 2024 | up 126.9% | rising |
| 37 | Canada | 46.95 | 2022 | up 32.1% | rising |
| 38 | Solomon Islands | 46.76 | 2018 | up 30.5% | rising |
| 39 | Uganda | 46.75 | 2024 | down 13.7% | falling |
| 40 | Monaco | 46.15 | 2020 | up 84.6% | flat |
| 40 | Mauritius | 46.15 | 2024 | up 30.3% | rising |
| 42 | Switzerland | 46.07 | 2024 | up 8.4% | rising |
| 43 | Malta | 45.16 | 2024 | up 90.1% | rising |
| 44 | Lebanon | 43.38 | 2023 | down 1.2% | falling |
| 45 | Papua New Guinea | 42.86 | 2023 | up 20.9% | rising |
| 46 | New Zealand | 42.27 | 2024 | up 100.3% | rising |
| 47 | Croatia | 41.37 | 2023 | up 92.8% | rising |
| 48 | Kenya | 41 | 2022 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 49 | Hong Kong | 40.62 | 2023 | up 139.6% | rising |
| 50 | Australia | 39.86 | 2024 | up 68.6% | rising |
| 51 | Madagascar | 39.63 | 2024 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 52 | Jamaica | 39.19 | 2023 | up 131.3% | rising |
| 53 | Jordan | 38.99 | 2015 | down 18.7% | falling |
| 54 | United Arab Emirates | 38.21 | 2016 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 55 | Antigua and Barbuda | 38.2 | 2022 | down 17.1% | rising |
| 56 | Peru | 38.05 | 2024 | down 24.3% | falling |
| 57 | South Africa | 38.04 | 2024 | up 39.8% | rising |
| 58 | Ecuador | 36.94 | 2024 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 59 | Mexico | 36.89 | 2024 | down 24.1% | falling |
| 60 | Guatemala | 36.74 | 2023 | down 26.9% | falling |
| 61 | Chile | 36.55 | 2024 | up 50.3% | rising |
| 62 | South Korea | 35.61 | 2023 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 63 | Iceland | 35.51 | 2023 | up 335.2% | volatile |
| 64 | Palestine | 35.18 | 2022 | down 32.8% | falling |
| 65 | Panama | 35.17 | 2024 | down 37.7% | falling |
| 66 | Argentina | 34.76 | 2023 | down 30.1% | falling |
| 67 | Belize | 34.73 | 2024 | down 35.0% | rising |
| 68 | Cote d'Ivoire | 33.66 | 2024 | down 13.7% | rising |
| 69 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 33.53 | 2023 | up 187.6% | rising |
| 70 | Liechtenstein | 33.33 | 2023 | up 183.4% | volatile |
| 71 | Malaysia | 33.01 | 2023 | up 45.4% | rising |
| 72 | Sao Tome and Principe | 32.81 | 2018 | down 27.1% | volatile |
| 73 | Vanuatu | 32.31 | 2021 | up 51.1% | rising |
| 74 | Seychelles | 31.65 | 2024 | up 59.3% | rising |
| 75 | Cyprus | 31.37 | 2024 | up 65.3% | rising |
| 76 | Burkina Faso | 29.94 | 2022 | down 19.8% | falling |
| 77 | Denmark | 29.2 | 2023 | down 2.6% | rising |
| 78 | Libya | 29 | 2023 | down 65.2% | falling |
| 79 | Latvia | 28.56 | 2024 | down 7.8% | falling |
| 80 | Sweden | 28.34 | 2023 | up 20.5% | rising |
| 81 | Slovenia | 28.16 | 2023 | up 480.6% | rising |
| 82 | Mozambique | 28.06 | 2023 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 83 | Greece | 27 | 2023 | up 19.8% | falling |
| 84 | Germany | 26.99 | 2024 | up 31.5% | rising |
| 85 | United States | 26.91 | 2022 | up 25.9% | rising |
| 86 | Netherlands | 26.58 | 2023 | down 1.5% | falling |
| 87 | Cambodia | 26.55 | 2024 | down 54.4% | falling |
| 88 | Finland | 26.27 | 2023 | up 56.3% | rising |
| 89 | France | 25.76 | 2024 | up 3.2% | falling |
| 90 | Israel | 25.75 | 2016 | down 6.6% | flat |
| 91 | Belgium | 25.61 | 2023 | down 20.2% | falling |
| 92 | Kyrgyzstan | 25.6 | 2022 | up 22.4% | rising |
| 93 | Bahamas | 25.55 | 2022 | down 55.3% | rising |
| 94 | Eswatini | 24.49 | 2022 | up 34.9% | falling |
| 95 | Brazil | 24.22 | 2024 | down 41.2% | falling |
| 96 | East Timor | 23.82 | 2017 | down 44.1% | falling |
| 97 | Guernsey | 23.66 | 2024 | up 14.7% | falling |
| 98 | Qatar | 23.62 | 2019 | up 349.0% | volatile |
| 99 | Zimbabwe | 23.54 | 2024 | up 37.7% | falling |
| 100 | Botswana | 22.46 | 2021 | up 0.8% | falling |
| 101 | Portugal | 22.34 | 2024 | up 36.1% | falling |
| 102 | Ukraine | 22.24 | 2023 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 103 | Myanmar | 21.98 | 2020 | up 103.1% | rising |
| 103 | Puerto Rico | 21.98 | 2024 | up 49.1% | rising |
| 105 | Colombia | 21.65 | 2024 | down 35.4% | falling |
| 106 | Serbia | 21.56 | 2023 | up 14.2% | falling |
| 107 | Indonesia | 21.3 | 2024 | down 35.7% | falling |
| 108 | Hungary | 20.98 | 2023 | down 25.9% | falling |
| 109 | Costa Rica | 20.79 | 2023 | down 7.4% | flat |
| 110 | Azerbaijan | 20.7 | 2024 | up 23.4% | rising |
| 111 | Kazakhstan | 20.27 | 2022 | up 31.2% | rising |
| 112 | Isle of Man | 20.18 | 2021 | down 30.1% | volatile |
| 113 | Fiji | 19.92 | 2021 | down 28.3% | rising |
| 114 | Ireland | 19.72 | 2024 | up 30.0% | rising |
| 115 | Lesotho | 19.49 | 2016 | up 2.6% | flat |
| 116 | Austria | 19.47 | 2024 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 117 | Georgia | 19.32 | 2024 | up 33.0% | volatile |
| 118 | Norway | 19.26 | 2023 | down 22.5% | rising |
| 119 | Algeria | 19 | 2021 | up 178.2% | volatile |
| 120 | Mongolia | 18.95 | 2024 | up 27.4% | flat |
| 121 | Spain | 18.94 | 2023 | up 36.1% | falling |
| 122 | Estonia | 18.13 | 2024 | down 22.9% | falling |
| 123 | Zambia | 18.07 | 2024 | down 22.1% | falling |
| 124 | Suriname | 18.05 | 2023 | down 55.0% | falling |
| 125 | Malawi | 17.59 | 2020 | up 56.9% | falling |
| 126 | Moldova | 17.01 | 2024 | up 54.1% | rising |
| 127 | Italy | 16.85 | 2023 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 128 | Russia | 15.45 | 2024 | up 72.4% | rising |
| 129 | Turkey | 14.92 | 2024 | up 6.6% | volatile |
| 130 | Kuwait | 14.6 | 2021 | up 46.0% | rising |
| 130 | Nicaragua | 14.6 | 2018 | down 29.9% | flat |
| 132 | Japan | 14.4 | 2023 | up 32.1% | falling |
| 133 | North Macedonia | 14.13 | 2023 | up 38.4% | falling |
| 134 | Slovakia | 13.05 | 2024 | down 0.8% | falling |
| 135 | Romania | 12.73 | 2024 | up 139.7% | falling |
| 136 | Bermuda | 12.57 | 2019 | up 7.3% | falling |
| 137 | Singapore | 12.46 | 2023 | up 31.3% | rising |
| 138 | Lithuania | 11.82 | 2024 | up 17.6% | falling |
| 139 | Thailand | 11.53 | 2023 | down 45.4% | falling |
| 140 | Vietnam | 11.5 | 2022 | down 1.2% | falling |
| 141 | Poland | 11.47 | 2024 | up 45.9% | falling |
| 142 | Ghana | 10.52 | 2024 | down 51.0% | falling |
| 143 | Morocco | 10.48 | 2024 | down 75.3% | falling |
| 144 | Egypt | 9.9 | 2016 | down 0.3% | falling |
| 145 | Belarus | 9.17 | 2018 | down 9.6% | falling |
| 146 | Uruguay | 8.73 | 2022 | down 87.0% | falling |
| 147 | Macao | 8.62 | 2022 | down 59.7% | falling |
| 148 | Bulgaria | 8.34 | 2023 | down 4.8% | falling |
| 149 | Czechia | 8.05 | 2024 | down 31.3% | falling |
| 150 | Brunei | 7.08 | 2016 | down 17.1% | flat |
| 151 | El Salvador | 4 | 2022 | down 85.3% | falling |
| 152 | Namibia | 3.16 | 2016 | down 60.1% | volatile |