Prison capacity and number of persons held in Ireland
Ireland: Prison capacity and number of persons held was 4,577 Number in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
4,577 Number
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
26th
of 46 countries
All-time high
4,695 Number
in 2015
All-time low
3,827 Number
in 2008
Years of data
15
2008–2024
Prison capacity and number of persons held in Ireland, 2008–2024
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Number.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 4,577 Number for prison capacity and number of persons held in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison capacity and number of persons held in Ireland peaked at 4,695 Number in 2015 and was at its lowest, 3,827 Number, in 2008.
Ireland ranks 26th of 46 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Prison capacity and number of persons held in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 3,827 Number | — |
| 2009 | 4,323 Number | +13.0% |
| 2010 | 4,480 Number | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 4,480 Number | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 4,622 Number | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 4,244 Number | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 4,145 Number | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 4,695 Number | +13.3% |
| 2018 | 4,344 Number | -7.5% |
| 2019 | 4,285 Number | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 4,375 Number | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 4,375 Number | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 4,411 Number | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 4,560 Number | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 4,577 Number | +0.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 4,577 Number is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,404 Number, 62% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 4,577 Number is below the median for high income countries, which is 8,040 Number, 57% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4,075 Number | 3,827 Number | 4,323 Number | 2 |
| 2010s | 4,412 Number | 4,145 Number | 4,695 Number | 8 |
| 2020s | 4,460 Number | 4,375 Number | 4,577 Number | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More urban development data for Ireland
- Population in the largest city 36.7% (2025)
- Population density 78.32 people per sq. km of land area (2024)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 7.51 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.30 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2369 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.13 % 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 18.44 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.30 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0 Tonnes (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prison capacity and number of persons held in Ireland?
- Prison capacity and number of persons held in Ireland was 4,577 Number in 2024, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 4,695 Number in 2015.
- What is the lowest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,827 Number in 2008.
- How does Ireland rank for prison capacity and number of persons held?
- Ireland ranks 26th out of 46 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prison capacity and number of persons held rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).