Prison capacity and number of persons held in Belgium
Belgium: Prison capacity and number of persons held was 11,040 Number in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prison capacity and number of persons held in Belgium, 2008–2024
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Number.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prison capacity and number of persons held in Belgium is 11,040 Number, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison capacity and number of persons held in Belgium peaked at 11,040 Number in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8,445 Number, in 2008.
That places Belgium 17th out of 46 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Prison capacity and number of persons held in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 8,445 Number | — |
| 2009 | 8,546 Number | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 9,129 Number | +6.8% |
| 2011 | 9,212 Number | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 9,401 Number | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 9,715 Number | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 9,952 Number | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 9,231 Number | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 9,231 Number | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 9,554 Number | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 9,563 Number | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 9,703 Number | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 10,584 Number | +9.1% |
| 2024 | 11,040 Number | +4.3% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 11,040 Number is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,404 Number, 1.5× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 11,040 Number is above the median for high income countries, which is 8,040 Number, 1.4× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8,496 Number | 8,445 Number | 8,546 Number | 2 |
| 2010s | 9,410 Number | 9,129 Number | 9,952 Number | 7 |
| 2020s | 10,089 Number | 9,554 Number | 11,040 Number | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More urban development data for Belgium
- Population in the largest city 20.5% (2025)
- Population density 388.88 people per sq. km of land area (2024)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 8.45 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 3.21 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2685 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.4106 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 104.26 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 2.14 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 8.9 Tonnes (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prison capacity and number of persons held in Belgium?
- Prison capacity and number of persons held in Belgium was 11,040 Number in 2024, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 11,040 Number in 2024.
- What is the lowest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,445 Number in 2008.
- How does Belgium rank for prison capacity and number of persons held?
- Belgium ranks 17th out of 46 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prison capacity and number of persons held rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Prison capacity and number of persons held. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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