Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe and Northern America

Europe and Northern America: Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population was 24.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
24.6%
Change on year
up 0.9%
Rank
24th
of 31 groups
All-time high
24.6%
in 2024
All-time low
17.9%
in 2011
Years of data
22
2003–2024

Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe and Northern America, 2003–2024

05101520252003201320242003: 21.42004: 19.12005: 202006: 19.22007: 19.12008: 192009: 18.72010: 18.12011: 17.92012: 18.32013: 18.32014: 18.92015: 18.82016: 19.72017: 20.12018: 20.72019: 20.92020: 21.32021: 232022: 23.92023: 24.42024: 24.6

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2024, unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe and Northern America stood at 24.6%. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 30.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe and Northern America peaked at 24.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.9%, in 2011.

Europe and Northern America ranks 24th of 31 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe and Northern America, year by year

Annual values for Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population (%) in Europe and Northern America, 2003 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2003 21.4%
2004 19.1% -10.3%
2005 20.0% +4.6%
2006 19.2% -4.0%
2007 19.1% -0.6%
2008 19.0% -0.8%
2009 18.7% -1.3%
2010 18.1% -3.5%
2011 17.9% -0.8%
2012 18.3% +2.2%
2013 18.3% +0.1%
2014 18.9% +3.2%
2015 18.8% -0.7%
2016 19.7% +4.6%
2017 20.1% +2.0%
2018 20.7% +3.3%
2019 20.9% +1.0%
2020 21.3% +1.7%
2021 23.0% +7.9%
2022 23.9% +4.0%
2023 24.4% +2.0%
2024 24.6% +0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.5% 18.7% 21.4% 7
2010s 19.2% 17.9% 20.9% 10
2020s 23.4% 21.3% 24.6% 5

Countries ranked near Europe and Northern America

  1. 21 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 58.7% compare
  2. 22 Barbados 57.9% compare
  3. 23 Dominica 55.9% compare
  4. 24 Guinea 55.5% compare
  5. 25 Cameroon 55.5% compare
  6. 26 Tunisia 54.9% compare
  7. 27 Montenegro 54.3% compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More infrastructure data for Europe and Northern America

All data for Europe and Northern America →

Frequently asked questions

What is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe and Northern America?
Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe and Northern America was 24.6% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population recorded in Europe and Northern America?
The highest recorded value was 24.6% in 2024.
What is the lowest unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population recorded in Europe and Northern America?
The lowest recorded value was 17.9% in 2011.
How does Europe and Northern America rank for unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population?
Europe and Northern America ranks 24th out of 31 groups with data for 2024.
Is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population rising or falling in Europe and Northern America?
Over the last ten years it is up 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Europe and Northern America data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe and Northern America. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/unsentenced-detainees-as-a-proportion-of-overall-prison-population-percent/europe-and-northern-america/

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About this data

Indicator
Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
195 places, 3,134 data points, 2003–2024
Last refreshed