Incarceration rate by country
El Salvador has the highest incarceration rate in the world at 1,659 per 100,000 people, more than three times the U.S. rate of 542.
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What the data shows
- El Salvador ranks #1 with 1,659, ahead of Cuba (794) and Rwanda (620).
About this chart
El Salvador's rate of 1,659 prisoners per 100,000 people (2024) is more than double the next country on the list, Cuba at 794, though Cuba's figure dates from 2020. Rwanda follows at 620 (2024) and Turkmenistan at 576 (2021). The United States is fifth among sovereign countries at 542 (2023), ahead of Panama (533) and Tonga (516). The 15 countries shown range from 1,659 down to 369 in Eswatini.
Figures come from the World Prison Brief via Our World in Data, using the latest available number for each country, so the years differ. Turkey's 468 is a 2026 figure, while Cuba's and Turkmenistan's are old and may be unreliable. Rates include people held before trial. Dependent territories such as American Samoa (538) and Guam (530) are left out, since the list covers sovereign countries only.
The data
Source: World Prison Brief (Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research), prison population rate, via Wikipedia 'List of countries by incarceration rate' and Our World in Data (dataset updated Jan 2026 from WPB). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Latest available figure per country; years differ: El Salvador 2024, Cuba 2020, Rwanda 2024, Turkmenistan 2021, United States 2023, Panama 2025, Tonga 2022, Turkey 2026, Cape Verde 2024, Uruguay 2024, Brazil 2024, Antigua and Barbuda 2023, Thailand 2024, Seychelles 2025, Eswatini 2025. Rates include pre-trial detainees. Dependent territories (for example American Samoa 538, Guam 530) are excluded. Cuba's and Turkmenistan's figures are old and may be unreliable.
| Date | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇵🇦 Panama | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 🇸🇿 Eswatini |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prisoners per 100,000 | 1,659 | 794 | 620 | 576 | 542 | 533 | 516 | 468 | 467 | 449 | 416 | 400 | 395 | 392 | 369 |
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Suggested caption: “El Salvador jails 1,659 per 100,000 people. The US: 542.” Credit the source in your caption; it heads off the 'source?' comments.
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Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest incarceration rate?
El Salvador, with 1,659 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024, according to the World Prison Brief. Cuba is second at 794, though that figure is from 2020.
What is the incarceration rate in the United States?
The U.S. rate is 542 prisoners per 100,000 people (2023), fifth highest among sovereign countries on this list. Rates include pretrial detainees as well as sentenced prisoners.
Why do the years differ between countries?
Each country is shown with its latest available figure, and countries report at different times. Turkey's is from 2026, the United States' from 2023 and Cuba's from 2020, so comparisons across years should be made with care.
Where does this data come from?
World Prison Brief (Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research), prison population rate, via Wikipedia 'List of countries by incarceration rate' and Our World in Data (dataset updated Jan 2026 from WPB). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Latest available figure per country; years differ: El Salvador 2024, Cuba 2020, Rwanda 2024, Turkmenistan 2021, United States 2023, Panama 2025, Tonga 2022, Turkey 2026, Cape Verde 2024, Uruguay 2024, Brazil 2024, Antigua and Barbuda 2023, Thailand 2024, Seychelles 2025, Eswatini 2025. Rates include pre-trial detainees. Dependent territories (for example American Samoa 538, Guam 530) are excluded. Cuba's and Turkmenistan's figures are old and may be unreliable. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.
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