Brussels: Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, revealed that in 2024, there were 508,746 prisoners in the EU, indicating a 2.0% increase compared with 2023. The total number of prisoners had been declining since 2012, when it stood at 552,954, and reached a low of 463,376 in 2020. Since then, the number has risen by 9.8%.

According to Emirates News Agency, there were 113 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024, slightly more than in 2023, which recorded 111 prisoners per 100,000 people. Among EU countries, the highest prisoner rates per 100,000 people were noted in Hungary at 193, followed by Poland at 191 and Latvia at 187. Conversely, the countries with the lowest rates included Finland with 57, the Netherlands with 67, and both Denmark and Germany with 70.

Similarly to 2023, in 2024, 14 EU countries experienced overcrowded prison cells. Overcrowding is defined as having more prisoners than a facility was designed to accommodate. The highest overcrowding rate was observed in Cyprus, with an occupancy rate of 227.6. Slovenia and France followed with rates of 134.2 and 129.3, respectively. The lowest prison occupancy rates were recorded in Estonia at 49.9, Lithuania at 67.0, and Luxembourg at 67.4.