Countries with the most prisoners 2023

At the end of 2023, the United States had the highest number of incarcerated individuals worldwide, with almost 1.8 million people in prison. It was followed by China with around one 100,000 fewer prisoners. Brazil followed in third.

The incarceration problem in the U.S.

The United States has an incredibly high number of incarcerated individuals. Therefore, the incarceration problem has become a widely contested issue, because it impacts disadvantaged people and minorities the most. Additionally, the prison system has become capitalized by outside corporations which fund prisons, but there is still a high cost to tax-payers. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the amount of private prisons that have been created. For-profit prison companies have come under scrutiny because of their lack of satisfactory staff and widespread lobbying. Violent offenses are the most common type of offense among prisoners in the U.S.

Incarceration rates worldwide

Worldwide, El Salvador had the highest rate of incarceration worldwide, at 605 prisoners per 100,000 residents as of January 2023. Rwanda followed in second with 580 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants. El Salvador was also ranked as the most dangerous country in 2023 in terms of murders, with a murder rate of 52 per 100,000 inhabitants. The incarceration rate is a better measure to use when comparing countries than the total prison populations, which will naturally have the most populous countries topping the list.