Cyprus recorded the highest level of prison overcrowding in the European Union in 2024, according to data published on Thursday by Eurostat.
The prison occupancy rate in Cyprus reached 227.6 in 2024, the highest among EU member states. Slovenia followed with an occupancy rate of 134.2, while France ranked third at 129.3.
The lowest levels of prison occupancy were recorded in Estonia at 49.9, Lithuania at 67.0 and Luxembourg at 67.4.
Inmate numbers in Cyprus
According to the data, the total number of inmates in Cyprus stood at 965 in 2024, compared with 959 in 2023.
The number of prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants in Cyprus fell slightly to 99.86 in 2024, down from 101.04 the previous year.
Overall EU trends
Across the European Union, the total prison population reached 508,746 inmates in 2024, marking a 2 per cent increase compared with 2023.
Eurostat data show an upward trend in recent years, following the lowest recorded level in 2020, when the number of prisoners stood at 463,376. Since then, the total prison population in the EU has increased by 9.8 per cent.
In 2024, the EU average stood at 113 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, up from 111 in 2023.
Highest and lowest incarceration rates
The highest incarceration rates in the EU were recorded in Hungary, with 193 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Poland with 191 and Latvia with 187.
The lowest rates were observed in Finland, with 57 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, the Netherlands with 67, and Denmark and Germany, both with 70.
Absolute numbers by country
In absolute terms, France recorded the highest number of prisoners in 2024, with 80,699 inmates, followed by Poland with 69,850 and Italy with 63,524.
Source: CNA
