Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The number of prisoners in the European Union reached approximately 499,000, indicating a 3.2% increase in 2023 compared to 2022. The prisoner population reached 111 prisoners per 100,000 people, slightly higher than the 108 in 2022.
Between 1993 and 2023, the highest number of prisoners was recorded in 2012 (553,000). After a period of stability from 2017 to 2019, the prison population decreased by 6.6% in 2020 (463,000), followed by an overall increase of 7.7% from 2021 to 2023. According to figures published by Eurostat, the European Statistical Office in Brussels, comparing EU countries, the highest prisoner rates per 100,000 people in 2023 were in Poland (203), followed by Hungary (187) and the Czech Republic (181). The lowest rates were recorded in Finland (53), the Netherlands (66), and Slovenia (68).
In 2023, 13 EU countries experienced overcrowding in prison cells. Overcrowding occurs when the number of prisoners in a prison exceeds its capacity. The highest overcrowding rate was recorded in Cyprus, with an occupancy rate of 226.2, followed by France (122.9), and Italy (119.1). The lowest prison occupancy rates were recorded in Estonia (56.2), Luxembourg (60.8), and Bulgaria (67.7).