Prison capacity and number of persons held in England and Wales

England and Wales: Prison capacity and number of persons held was 88,491 Number in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)
88,491 Number
Change on year
down 0.4%
Rank
1st
of 2 regions
All-time high
92,933 Number
in 2012
All-time low
88,444 Number
in 2013
Years of data
9
2010–2018

Prison capacity and number of persons held in England and Wales, 2010–2018

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k2010201420182010: 91.2k Number2011: 92.2k Number2012: 92.9k Number2013: 88.4k Number2014: 89.7k Number2015: 89.1k Number2016: 89.2k Number2017: 88.8k Number2018: 88.5k Number

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Number.

Analysis

In 2018, prison capacity and number of persons held in England and Wales stood at 88,491 Number.

The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prison capacity and number of persons held in England and Wales peaked at 92,933 Number in 2012 and was at its lowest, 88,444 Number, in 2013.

Prison capacity and number of persons held in England and Wales, year by year

Annual values for Prison capacity and number of persons held in England and Wales, 2010 to 2018.
Year Number Change
2010 91,226 Number
2011 92,211 Number +1.1%
2012 92,933 Number +0.8%
2013 88,444 Number -4.8%
2014 89,739 Number +1.5%
2015 89,116 Number -0.7%
2016 89,170 Number +0.1%
2017 88,849 Number -0.4%
2018 88,491 Number -0.4%

Countries ranked near England and Wales

  1. 1 Türkiye 301,397 Number compare
  2. 2 Poland 89,093 Number compare
  3. 2 Poland 89,093 Number compare
  4. 4 Spain 73,956 Number

See the full ranking of 48 places →

Frequently asked questions

What is prison capacity and number of persons held in England and Wales?
Prison capacity and number of persons held in England and Wales was 88,491 Number in 2018, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in England and Wales?
The highest recorded value was 92,933 Number in 2012.
What is the lowest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in England and Wales?
The lowest recorded value was 88,444 Number in 2013.
How does England and Wales rank for prison capacity and number of persons held?
England and Wales ranks 1st out of 2 regions with data for 2018.
Is prison capacity and number of persons held rising or falling in England and Wales?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this England and Wales 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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Prison capacity and number of persons held in England and Wales. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://urban.statizoid.com/stat/prison-capacity-and-number-of-persons-held/england-and-wales/

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About this data

Indicator
Prison capacity and number of persons held
Unit
Number
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
48 places, 703 data points, 2008–2024
Last refreshed