World Prison Population List eleventh edition Roy Walmsley Introduction This eleventh edition of the World Prison Population List gives details of the number of prisoners held in 223 prison systems in independent countries and dependent territories. It shows the differences in the levels of imprisonment across the world and makes possible an estimate of the world prison population total. The figures include both pre-trial detainees/remand prisoners and those who have been convicted and sentenced. The information is the latest available at the end of October 2015. The data are presented in two parts. Part one, tables 1-5, sets out prison population totals, rates and trends for each individual country. Part two, tables 6-8, provides data on prison population totals, rates and trends by continent, and includes comparison of male and female prison population levels. The World Prison Population List*, like the World Female Imprisonment List (the third edition of which was published in September 2015) and the World Pre-trial/ Remand Imprisonment List (second edition published in 2014) complement the information held on the World Prison Brief. This is an online database available at www.prisonstudies.org, and is updated monthly. The World Prison Population List is compiled from a variety of sources. In almost all cases the original source is the national prison administration of the country concerned, or else the Ministry responsible for the prison administration. Most of the figures are recent and efforts are continually made to update them and to obtain information on the number of prisoners in the countries on which figures are not currently available (Eritrea, Somalia and the Democratic People’s Republic of (North) Korea) or are incomplete. We welcome the assistance of readers in notifying us of the latest figures. Care has been taken to ensure that the List is as accurate as possible but we cannot guarantee the reliability of every figure and readers are also invited to draw attention to any errors they notice and, if possible, to supply corrections. It is hoped that this edition of the World Prison Population List will be useful for policy makers, prison administrators, academic criminologists, non-governmental organisations, other criminal justice experts and everyone who is interested in the extent of imprisonment. The information may prompt fresh thought about the size of prison populations, given the high costs and disputed efficacy of imprisonment and the fact that prison overcrowding is widespread. More information on prison population rates and trends, alongside discussion of the ethical challenges and imperatives of prisons policy in the 21st century, will be presented in the forthcoming book Imprisonment Worldwide (Andrew Coyle, Helen Fair, Jessica Jacobson and Roy Walmsley), to be published by Policy Press in summer 2016. * The first five editions of the World Prison Population List were published by the Research and Statistics Directorate of the United Kingdom Home Office; the next five were published by the International Centre for Prison Studies (ICPS). Following the merger in November 2014 of ICPS with the Institute for Criminal Policy Research (ICPR), this eleventh edition is the first to be published by ICPR. 1 World Prison Population List (eleventh edition) Key points CC This report shows that more than 10.35 •Cin Africa the median rate for western African million people are held in penal institutions countries is 52 whereas for southern African throughout the world, either as pre-trial countries it is 188; detainees/remand prisoners or having •Cin the Americas the median rate for south been convicted and sentenced. Figures American countries is 242 whereas for for Eritrea, Somalia and the Democratic Caribbean countries it is 347; People’s Republic of (North) Korea are not available and those for China and Guinea •Cin Asia the median rate for south central Bissau are incomplete (see footnote to Asian countries (mainly the Indian sub- Table 3 concerning China). Also missing continent) is 74 whereas for central Asian are prisoners held in some jurisdictions that countries it is 166. are not fully recognised internationally and •Cin Europe the median rate for western those pre-trial prisoners who are held in European countries is 84 whereas for the police facilities and not included in published countries spanning Europe and Asia (e.g. national prison population totals. The full Russia and Turkey) it is 236. total is therefore higher than 10.35 million and may well be in excess of 11 million. •Cin Oceania the median rate is 155. CC There are more than 2.2 million prisoners in CC Since about the year 2000 the world prison the United States of America, more than 1.65 population total has grown by almost 20%, million in China (plus an unknown number which is slightly above the estimated 18% in pre-trial detention or ‘administrative increase in the world’s general population detention’), 640,000 in the Russian over the same period. There are considerable Federation, 607,000 in Brazil, 418,000 in differences between the continents, and India, 311,000 in Thailand, 255,000 in Mexico variation within continents. The total prison and 225,000 in Iran. population in Oceania has increased by almost 60% and that in the Americas by over 40%; in CC The countries with the highest prison Europe, by contrast, the total prison population population rate – that is, the number of has decreased by 21%. The European figure prisoners per 100,000 of the national reflects large falls in prison populations in population – are Seychelles (799 per 100,000), Russia and in central and eastern Europe. followed by the United States (698), St. Kitts In the Americas, the prison population has & Nevis (607), Turkmenistan (583), U.S. Virgin increased by 14% in the USA, by over 80% Islands (542), Cuba (510), El Salvador (492), in central American countries and by 145% in Guam – U.S.A. (469), Thailand (461), Belize south American countries. (449), Russian Federation (445), Rwanda (434) and British Virgin Islands (425). CC The female prison population total has increased by 50% since about 2000, while CC However, more than half of all countries and the equivalent figure for the male prison territories (55%) have rates below 150 per population is 18%. 100,000. CC The female total has increased CC The world prison population rate, based proportionately more than the male total in on United Nations estimates of national every continent. Consequently the proportion population levels, is 144 per 100,000. of women and girls in the total world prison population has risen from 5.4% in about CC Prison population rates vary considerably 2000 to 6.8% in the latest figures available. between different regions of the world, (For more information on female prison and between different parts of the same populations, see the third edition of the World continent. For example: Female Imprisonment List.) 2 World Prison Population List (eleventh edition) Part 1: Prison population totals, rates and trends per country Table 1 AFRICA Prison Date Estimated Prison Trend information population national population total population rate year total rate Northern Africa Algeria 60,220 31.12.13 37.28m 162 2000 33,992 111 2005 43,797 132 2010 58,000 164 Egypt 62,000 .13 82.06m 76 2001 56,587 84 2006 64,378 87 2011 c. 66,000 c. 83 Libya 6,187 4.14 6.24m 99 2004 9,763 178 2010 13,242 220 Morocco 76,000 4.15 34.28m 222 2000 54,288 187 2005 50,933 167 2010 64,877 201 Sudan 19,101 .13 37.96m 50 2002 12,809 44 2009 19,144 55 Tunisia 23,686 10.14 11.15m 212 2004 c. 26,000 c. 261 2009 26,319 250 Western Africa Benin 7,247 10.12 9.42m 77 2000 4,961 76 2006 5,834 74 2010 6,908 78 Burkina Faso 6,251 30.6.14 18.41m 34 2000 2,204 18 2005 3,315 23 2010 5,198 31 Cape Verde 1,434 .13 501,000 286 1999 755 172 2010 1,226 251 Cote d’Ivoire c. 10,850 30.11.14 21.01m c. 52 2002 10,355 62 2008 11,143 61 Gambia 1,121 11.14 1.93m 58 1999 478 40 2002 450 34 2009 780 47 Ghana 14,297 6.15 26.96m 53 2000 9,507 51 2005 12,371 58 2010 13,507 56 Guinea (Rep. of) 3,110 .14 12.12m 26 2002 3,070 34 2008 2,780 27 Guinea Bissau 92* 31.12.13 1.725m – not available Liberia 1,719 .14 4.40m 39 2007 1,022 29 2011 1,601 39 Mali 5,209 .14 15.77m 33 2002 4,040 38 2009 6,700 49 Mauritania 1,768 1.10.14 4.01m 44 2001 1,413 50 2005 c. 815 c. 26 2010 1,700 47 Niger 7,424 12.14 18.87m 39 2002 c. 6,000 c. 51 2006 7,381 53 2010 5,337 33 Nigeria 56,620 12.14 180.81m 31 2000 44,450 36 2005 39,006 28 2010 46,586 29 Senegal 8,630 11.14 13.86m 62 2000 4,894 51 2005 6,417 59 2010 7,300 59 Sierra Leone 3,488 27.10.15 6.36m 55 2004 c. 1,400 c. 28 2010 2,237 39 Togo 4,493 .14 6.99m 64 2003 3,200 61 2010 4,116 65 Central Africa Angola 22,826 31.12.14 21.45m 106 2001 4,000 28 2005 c. 8,300 c. 50 2009 16,183 87 Cameroon 25,914 31.12.13 22.54m 115 2002 20,000 119 2005 22,734 127 2009 23,368 115 Central African Rep 764 .15 4.80m 16 2005 c.