Worldwide, the United States of America had the highest imprisonment rate in 2023, at 531 prisoners per 100,000 people. In contrast, Australia had an imprisonment rate of 158 prisoners per 100,000 people. As at 30 June 2023, Victoria had a rate of 95 prisoners per 100,000 people.
Imprisonment rates for Group of Twenty (G20) countries (excluding the European Union) and for Victoria
Hover over a bar in the graph to display the imprisonment rate and global ranking for that jurisdiction.
| Jurisdiction | Imprisonment rate |
|---|---|
| United States of America | 531 |
| Turkey | 400 |
| Brazil | 390 |
| Russian Federation | 300 |
| South Africa | 258 |
| Argentina | 254 |
| Saudi Arabia | 207 |
| Mexico | 176 |
| Australia | 158 |
| England and Wales | 145 |
| China | 119 |
| France | 109 |
| South Korea | 103 |
| Italy | 102 |
| Indonesia | 95 |
| Victoria | 95 |
| Canada | 88 |
| Germany | 67 |
| India | 41 |
| Japan | 36 |
Note: The data in the graph measures the rate of prisoners per 100,000 people of all ages.
Sources: Institute for Criminal Policy Research, World Prison Brief, Highest to Lowest – Prison Population Rate (data retrieved 19 February 2024); Australian Bureau of Statistics, National, State and Territory Population (June 2023); Australian Bureau of Statistics, Prisoners in Australia (2023). Please refer to the World Prison Brief for the latest statistics.
