Incarceration rates in selected countries 2023
As of January 2023, El Salvador had the highest prisoner rate worldwide, with 605 prisoners per 100,000 of the national population. Rwanda, Turkmenistan, American Samoa, and Cuba rounded out the top five countries with the highest rate of incarceration.
Prisoners in the United States
The United States is home to the second largest number of prisoners worldwide, only beaten by China. Roughly 1.68 million people were incarcerated in the U.S. in 2023. In China, the estimated prison population totaled to 1.69 million people that year. Other nations had far fewer prisoners.
The largest share of the U.S. prisoners in federal correctional facilities were of African-American origin. As of 2020, there were 345,500 black, non-Hispanic prisoners, compared to 327,300 white, non-hispanic inmates. The U.S. states with the largest number of prisoners in 2021 were Texas, California and Florida.
Over 160,000 prisoners in state facilities were sentenced for rape or sexual assault, which was the most common cause of imprisonment. Second most common were murder, followed by aggravated or simple assault.
Homicides in El Salvador
El Salvador is not only the country with the highest prison rate worldwide, but also the country with the highest murder rate, reaching over 50 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022. A high number of the countries with the highest homicide rate are located in Latin America.Prisoners in the United States
The United States is home to the second largest number of prisoners worldwide, only beaten by China. Roughly 1.68 million people were incarcerated in the U.S. in 2023. In China, the estimated prison population totaled to 1.69 million people that year. Other nations had far fewer prisoners.
The largest share of the U.S. prisoners in federal correctional facilities were of African-American origin. As of 2020, there were 345,500 black, non-Hispanic prisoners, compared to 327,300 white, non-hispanic inmates. The U.S. states with the largest number of prisoners in 2021 were Texas, California and Florida.
Over 160,000 prisoners in state facilities were sentenced for rape or sexual assault, which was the most common cause of imprisonment. Second most common were murder, followed by aggravated or simple assault.
