Prison capacity and number of persons held in Switzerland
Switzerland: Prison capacity and number of persons held was 7,404 Number in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
7,404 Number
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
22nd
of 46 countries
All-time high
7,489 Number
in 2017
All-time low
7,196 Number
in 2022
Years of data
11
2014–2024
Prison capacity and number of persons held in Switzerland, 2014–2024
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Number.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 7,404 Number for prison capacity and number of persons held in 2024.
That represents a change of up 2.1% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison capacity and number of persons held in Switzerland peaked at 7,489 Number in 2017 and was at its lowest, 7,196 Number, in 2022.
Switzerland ranks 22nd of 46 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Prison capacity and number of persons held in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 7,235 Number | — |
| 2015 | 7,324 Number | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 7,483 Number | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 7,489 Number | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 7,394 Number | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 7,373 Number | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 7,397 Number | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 7,341 Number | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 7,196 Number | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 7,251 Number | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 7,404 Number | +2.1% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 7,404 Number is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,404 Number, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 7,404 Number is below the median for high income countries, which is 8,040 Number, 92% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7,383 Number | 7,235 Number | 7,489 Number | 6 |
| 2020s | 7,318 Number | 7,196 Number | 7,404 Number | 5 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More urban development data for Switzerland
- Population in the largest city 18.7% (2025)
- Population density 227.93 people per sq. km of land area (2024)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 8.32 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.46 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.8141 % 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 36.23 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.46 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 1.37 Tonnes (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prison capacity and number of persons held in Switzerland?
- Prison capacity and number of persons held in Switzerland was 7,404 Number in 2024, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 7,489 Number in 2017.
- What is the lowest prison capacity and number of persons held recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7,196 Number in 2022.
- How does Switzerland rank for prison capacity and number of persons held?
- Switzerland ranks 22nd out of 46 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prison capacity and number of persons held rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Switzerland 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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