Prisons are overcrowded: which European countries have the highest prison populations?
This is shown by the Council of Europe’s annual crime statistics.
Where prisons are most overcrowded
Among countries with a population of over 500,000, 14 prison systems reported that the number of prisoners exceeds the number of available places. The number of prison administrations reporting severe overcrowding rose from six to nine.
The countries with the highest levels of cell overcrowding are:
- Turkey and France – 131 prisoners per 100 places;
- Croatia – 123;
- Italy – 121;
- Malta – 118;
- Cyprus – 117;
- Hungary – 115;
- Belgium – 114;
- Ireland – 112.
A further five jurisdictions reported moderate overcrowding: Finland (110), Greece (108), Scotland (106), North Macedonia (104) and Sweden (103).
Prisons in Romania, Portugal, Azerbaijan, England and Wales, Serbia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland are operating at full capacity.
Which countries have the highest levels of incarceration
As of 31 January 2025, 1,107,921 people were in custody across the 51 prison administrations of Council of Europe member states. The average across the continent is 110 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants.
The highest incarceration rates per 100,000 inhabitants were recorded in the following countries:
- Turkey – 458;
- Azerbaijan – 271;
- Republic of Moldova – 245;
- Georgia – 232;
- Hungary – 206.
At the same time, some countries have seen a sharp rise in the number of prisoners over the past year, notably Turkey (+29%), Montenegro (+22%) and Luxembourg (+20%).
Conversely, the incarceration rate fell significantly in only five countries, led by Ukraine (-18%), followed by Slovakia (-16%), Georgia (-11%), Estonia (-9.8%) and Poland (-6%).
Proportion of foreigners, women and older people
On average across Europe, 17% of prisoners are not citizens of the country in which they are serving their sentences (of whom 27% are EU citizens). The highest proportion of foreign nationals is found in prisons in Luxembourg (78%), Switzerland (73%) and Cyprus (54%). The lowest is in Romania (1.1%).
One in four prisoners in Europe is in pre-trial detention. The highest percentage of such individuals is in Albania (62%) and Montenegro (53%), the lowest in Bulgaria (7%).
The Council of Europe study also notes a trend towards an ageing prison population (the proportion of people over 65 has risen to 2.9%). The highest average age of prisoners is recorded in Italy and Portugal (42 years), the lowest in Moldova (30 years).
The proportion of women among prisoners has risen slightly – from 4.8% to 5.2%. The highest proportion of women is held in prisons in Hungary (8.8%) and the Czech Republic (8.6%).
What crimes are most commonly served
The most common offences for which people are serving sentences in European prisons remain:
- Drug-related offences – 17.3%;
- Theft – 12.1%;
- Murder (or attempted murder) – 10.9%;
- Rape and other sexual offences – 8.6%.
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