Prison capacity and number of persons held in Spain
Spain: Prison capacity and number of persons held was 73,956 in 2024. β² Rising
Latest (2024)
73,956
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
2nd
of 37 countries
All-time high
76,864
in 2023
All-time low
64,109
in 2017
Years of data
9
2016β2024
Prison capacity and number of persons held in Spain, 2016β2024
Source: Eurostat.
Analysis
In 2024, prison capacity and number of persons held in Spain stood at 73,956.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and up 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison capacity and number of persons held in Spain peaked at 76,864 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 64,109, in 2017.
Spain ranks 2nd of 37 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 64,181 | 64,109 | 64,237 | 4 |
| 2020s | 74,956 | 73,956 | 76,864 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More urban development data for Spain
- Population in the largest city 17.1% (2025)
- Population density 96.76 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 10.08 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 12.54 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.3889 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2542 units per person (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 24.89 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 6.81 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 601.13 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prison capacity and number of persons held in Spain?
- Prison capacity and number of persons held in Spain was 73,956 in 2024, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 76,864 in 2023.
- What is the lowest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 64,109 in 2017.
- How does Spain rank for prison capacity and number of persons held?
- Spain ranks 2nd out of 37 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prison capacity and number of persons held rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain 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
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