Crime and penitentiary system in China - statistics & facts

In recent years, presumably around 1.7 million people had been incarcerated in China. In terms of the number of prisoners, China ranked second only to the United States. Among the other Asian countries, China exhibited the largest prison population, nearly four times as large as the runner-up, India. However, high absolute prisoner numbers may correlate with China’s enormous population base. With a population of about 1.4 billion, the country was the world’s second most populous country in 2023. Surprisingly, the relative prison population in China ranged lower than that of Taiwan or Singapore.

Level of crime in China

The number of crimes committed in China increased slowly until 2015 and dropped again in recent years. Most crimes were related to theft and fraud, which may be seen as the outcome of growing social inequality, a side effect of ongoing economic development. Nevertheless, apart from economic crimes, China seems to be a comparably safe place. As of 2023, none of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world, a ranking based on a city’s murder rate, were located in China.

China's penitentiary system

In recent years, no exact figures on the number of prisons and detainees have been published by official Chinese sources. However, according to estimates, around 1.7 million people had been detained in 683 prisons in the country as of 2018. A unique feature of the Chinese penitentiary system was the re-education through labor, a system of special administrative detentions. Sentences under re-education through labor were issued as a form of administrative punishment rather than according to criminal law. It has been much criticized for the physical abuse practiced in its facilities. Also, critics claim that many detainees are held for political or religious reasons. The practice was officially abolished by the end of 2013, though it is claimed by human rights groups that other forms of extrajudicial detention still exist in China. The number of detainees held in re-education-through-labor camps reached a peak in 1960. As of 2010, around 310,000 people were still incarcerated in labor camps throughout China.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jul 21, 2023

Key insights

Annual number of crimes in China
5.03m
Major crime types
Fraud and theft
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Number of crimes registered in China between 2011 and 2021 (in millions)

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