Extent of Imprisonment: Global View

Overview

The extent of imprisonment worldwide cannot be determined precisely, but a broad estimate can be achieved. The opportunity to compare the figures for individual countries provides the basis for assessing the need for policy changes. The first attempt at compiling a complete list of world prison populations was published in 1999; since then, information has been traced on the extent of imprisonment in almost all countries.

The estimated world prison population is now in excess of 10 million. The rate per 100,000 of the world’s population (the prison population rate) is around 150. The country with the highest prison population rate is the USA with a rate of 730 per 100,000 of the national population. Fifteen other countries have rates over 400. By contrast, 15 countries have rates below 40; ten of these are in Africa. Prison population rates vary considerably between different regions of the world, and between different parts of the same continent.

Female imprisonment...