Prison population
Almost three million people were held in penal institutions throughout OECD countries. Around two-thirds of these were in the United States, which has the highest prison population rate in the OECD, 701 per 100,000 population. Iceland has the lowest rate, at 37 per 100,000.
More than three-quarters of OECD countries have prison population rates below 140 per 100,000 population. New Zealand’s rate of 155 places it seventh-highest in the OECD, just below Mexico.
Prison rates vary
Prison rates vary considerably among OECD regions. Iceland, Japan and northern European countries have some of the lowest rates, between 37 and 73 per 100,000 population.
Western and southern European countries are higher, with most having between 80 and 100 per 100,000. Some of the highest prison population rates in the OECD were in central and eastern Europe, with rates that are exceeded only by the United States.
Printed versions
The printable files below are in Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 format(s). If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader you may download the reader to view or print the contents of this file.
Justice page.pdf (86 KB)
New Zealand in the OECD.pdf (1,043 KB)
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