According to Eurostat, in 2024, there were 508,746 prisoners in the European Union, which is 2.0% more compared to 2023. The total number of prisoners had been decreasing since 2012, when it was 552,954, reaching a minimum level of 463,376 in 2020. Since then, the number of prisoners has increased by 9.8%.
Latvia has a very high rate of prisoners for Europe, and it has been increasing for a long time. In 2024, there were 113 prisoners for every 100,000 residents — slightly more than in 2023, when this figure was 111.
Among EU countries, the highest rates of prisoners per 100,000 residents were in Hungary — 193, followed by Poland — 191, and Latvia — 187. The lowest rates were recorded in Finland — 57, the Netherlands — 67, and both Denmark and Germany — 70 each.
Latvia's rate increased from 173 prisoners per 100,000 residents in 2023 — a growth of 8%. Moreover, the 2024 figure became the highest since 2017, when there were 193 prisoners per 100,000 population.
As in 2023, in 2024, prisons were overcrowded in 14 EU countries. Overcrowding occurs when the number of prisoners exceeds the capacity of correctional facilities.
The highest level of overcrowding was recorded in Cyprus — the occupancy rate was 227.6. This was followed by Slovenia — 134.2 and France — 129.3.
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