International Imprisonment Rates
The United States of America had the second highest imprisonment rate of surveyed countries worldwide in 2015, at 693 prisoners per 100,000 people. (The Republic of Seychelles had the highest rate at 799 per 100,000 people.)
By contrast, Australia had an imprisonment rate of 152 prisoners per 100,000 people, and Victoria had a rate of 105 prisoners per 100,000 people. (These rates are lower than the rates per 100,000 adults in Australia.) New Zealand’s imprisonment rate was 203 prisoners per 100,000 people.
Graph and table: the imprisonment rates (per 100,000 people) for select countries and Victoria in 2015
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| Nation | Imprisonment rate |
|---|---|
| United States of America | 693 |
| Russian Federation | 447 |
| Thailand | 441 |
| South Africa | 292 |
| Georgia | 263 |
| Singapore | 219 |
| New Zealand | 203 |
| Australia | 152 |
| England & Wales | 146 |
| Spain | 131 |
| Malta | 131 |
| China (sentenced prisoners only) | 118 |
| Canada | 114 |
| Victoria (Australia) | 105 |
| Greece | 89 |
| Republic of Ireland | 79 |
| Indonesia | 69 |
| Denmark | 58 |
| Japan | 47 |
| Pakistan | 43 |
| India | 33 |
Source: Institute for Criminal Policy Research, Highest to Lowest: Prison Population Rate, World Prison Brief (accessed 28 October 2016) (external link opens in a new window)
