Justice

Prison overcrowding in Europe in 2025: inmates per 100 places in 41 countries

On 31 January 2025, Slovenia held 1,804 inmates for 1,346 prison places, the most crowded prisons of 41 European countries. France came second at 130.8%. We worked out every country’s density from the Council of Europe’s penal statistics and checked them against national prison data.

By Antonin, Rankcomet Source: Council of Europe, SPACE I 2025, checked against national prison administrations

Country Prison density
1 Slovenia 134.0%
2 France 130.8%
3 Croatia 122.5%
4 Italy 120.7%
5 Malta 118.0%
See the full ranking (41)
6 Cyprus 116.6%
7 Hungary 114.4%
8 Belgium 114.2%
9 Ireland 111.5%
10 Romania 111.2%
11 Finland 109.8%
12 Greece 107.5%
13 North Macedonia 103.7%
14 Sweden 103.0%
15 San Marino 100.0%
16 Portugal 98.5%
17 United Kingdom 96.9%
18 Serbia 95.6%
19 Czechia 95.3%
20 Netherlands 95.2%
21 Denmark 94.9%
22 Switzerland 94.5%
23 Iceland 87.5%
24 Moldova 86.8%
25 Montenegro 84.5%
26 Norway 81.1%
27 Germany 80.2%
28 Poland 79.0%
29 Albania 78.8%
30 Luxembourg 78.5%
31 Spain 77.2%
32 Latvia 76.8%
33 Slovakia 71.0%
34 Lithuania 66.9%
35 Estonia 58.4%
36 Liechtenstein 55.0%
37 Bulgaria 54.9%
38 Bosnia and Herzegovina 50.7%
39 Ukraine 50.3%
40 Andorra 46.8%
41 Monaco 38.0%
Prison density on 31 January 2025
Slovenia: 134.0%France: 130.8%Croatia: 122.5%Italy: 120.7%Cyprus: 116.6%Hungary: 114.4%Belgium: 114.2%Ireland: 111.5%Romania: 111.2%Finland: 109.8%Greece: 107.5%North Macedonia: 103.7%Sweden: 103.0%Portugal: 98.5%United Kingdom: 96.9%Serbia: 95.6%Czechia: 95.3%Netherlands: 95.2%Denmark: 94.9%Switzerland: 94.5%Iceland: 87.5%Moldova: 86.8%Montenegro: 84.5%Norway: 81.1%Germany: 80.2%Poland: 79.0%Albania: 78.8%Luxembourg: 78.5%Spain: 77.2%Latvia: 76.8%Slovakia: 71.0%Lithuania: 66.9%Estonia: 58.4%Bulgaria: 54.9%Bosnia and Herzegovina: 50.7%Ukraine: 50.3%Malta: 118.0%San Marino: 100.0%Liechtenstein: 55.0%Andorra: 46.8%Monaco: 38.0%
  • 134.0 (1st)
  • 111.5 to 130.8
  • 96.9 to 111.2
  • 84.5 to 95.6
  • 71.0 to 81.1
  • 38.0 to 66.9
  • not ranked

Dots: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco and San Marino, too small for the map.

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Slovenia had the most crowded prisons in Europe on 31 January 2025: 1,804 inmates for 1,346 places, a density of 134.0%. France came second with 130.8%, ahead of Croatia (122.5%) and Italy (120.7%). In 14 of the 41 countries ranked, prisons held more people than they had places.

The figures come from SPACE I, the penal statistics the University of Lausanne compiles each year for the Council of Europe. For each country, we divided the number of inmates, pre-trial detainees included, by the official capacity of its prisons.

Slovenia: border cases filled the cells

Slovenian prisons held 1,820 people on average in 2024, 20.5% more than in 2023, according to the country’s prison administration. The average number of people held before trial rose from 468 to 701.

The administration puts the rise down mainly to people prosecuted for crossing the border illegally. With 1,346 places for the whole country, 458 inmates over capacity were enough for a density of 134.0%.

France: 21,508 inmates without a place

France held 81,599 inmates for 62,363 operational places on 1 February 2025, the same figures its justice ministry publishes. That left 21,508 people held beyond capacity, and 4,490 slept on mattresses on the floor. In remand prisons, where people awaiting trial and short sentences are held, density reached 158.9%.

It has kept rising since. On 1 February 2026, the ministry counted 86,645 inmates for 63,289 places, a density of 136.9%.

Prison density in France, February 2015 to February 2026

Inmates per 100 operational places on 1 February each year. In black, 2025, the date of the ranking. Source: French justice ministry, monthly prison figures

The one dip came in 2021: 63,802 inmates on 1 February, 7,664 fewer than a year before.

Italy counts places it cannot use

Italy’s official capacity is 51,300 places, measured at 9 m² for one inmate plus 5 m² for each extra person in a cell. The report notes that 4,818 of those places were unavailable on 31 January 2025. Without them, Italy’s density would be 133.2%, above France’s.

Capacity rules differ from one country to the next, so a density of 100% does not mean the same space everywhere. The ranking compares how full each country’s prisons are by its own standard.

Where prisons have room

Monaco has the least crowded prison, with 38 inmates for 100 places. Ukraine stands at 50.3%. By 1 January 2025, more than 6,500 Ukrainian prisoners had been released on parole to join the National Guard, under a law of May 2024.

The United Kingdom holds the most inmates of the 41 countries, 95,588, and stands at 96.9%. Germany (80.2%) and Spain (77.2%) both have room to spare.

Key figures

in Slovenia, the most crowded prisons of 41 countries
134.0%
in France, second
130.8%
countries with more inmates than places
14
in Monaco, the least crowded
38.0%

How we calculated this

Scope: the member states of the Council of Europe that the UN M49 standard places in Europe, plus Cyprus, as in our public holidays ranking, with Ukraine added. Türkiye, at 130.9%, falls outside this scope. Source: SPACE I 2025, the Council of Europe’s annual penal statistics compiled by the University of Lausanne, table 16, downloaded on 26 October 2026. Prison density is the number of inmates, pre-trial detainees included, per 100 places of official capacity, on 31 January 2025. Some administrations counted their inmates on another day, such as 31 December 2024 for England and Wales and 1 January 2025 for Andorra. We divide inmates by places ourselves and round to a tenth, which gives a tenth less than the report for Belgium, France and Hungary. The United Kingdom adds up its three prison administrations (England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland). Austria gave no capacity and is not ranked. Countries with the same density share a rank. Each country sets its own capacity: Italy and Slovenia count 9 m² for a single cell, France counts operational places by floor area, Italy’s capacity includes 4,818 places that were unavailable on 31 January 2025, and Cyprus’s includes 205 places in police stations. Who counts as an inmate varies too: the Netherlands leave out 1,688 people held in secure clinics under a hospital order. Check: the French and Italian prison administrations publish the same numbers of inmates and places for that date, and Slovenia’s prison administration gives the same capacity, 1,346 places, for 2024. The CSV adds the number of inmates and places.

Download the data (CSV)

Cite this ranking

Rankcomet (2026). Prison overcrowding in Europe in 2025: inmates per 100 places in 41 countries. Updated October 26, 2026. https://rankcomet.com/prison-overcrowding/

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