Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe

Europe: Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population was 18.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
18.4%
Change on year
down 5.2%
Rank
24th
of 28 groups
All-time high
19.5%
in 2003
All-time low
13.2%
in 2016
Years of data
22
2003–2024

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

051015202003201320242003: 19.52004: 15.72005: 15.62006: 152007: 14.52008: 142009: 14.12010: 13.52011: 13.42012: 13.52013: 13.42014: 13.72015: 13.32016: 13.22017: 13.92018: 14.42019: 14.72020: 172021: 17.52022: 18.22023: 19.42024: 18.4

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Europe recorded 18.4% for unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in 2024.

The figure is down 5.2% on the previous year and up 34.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe peaked at 19.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 2016.

Europe ranks 24th of 28 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, year by year

Annual values for Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population (%) in Europe, 2003 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2003 19.5%
2004 15.7% -19.7%
2005 15.6% -0.6%
2006 15.0% -4.1%
2007 14.5% -3.1%
2008 14.0% -3.7%
2009 14.1% +0.9%
2010 13.5% -4.2%
2011 13.4% -0.4%
2012 13.5% +0.6%
2013 13.4% -0.9%
2014 13.7% +2.1%
2015 13.3% -3.0%
2016 13.2% -0.3%
2017 13.9% +5.4%
2018 14.4% +3.6%
2019 14.7% +1.5%
2020 17.0% +16.0%
2021 17.5% +2.8%
2022 18.2% +4.3%
2023 19.4% +6.4%
2024 18.4% -5.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 15.5% 14.0% 19.5% 7
2010s 13.7% 13.2% 14.7% 10
2020s 18.1% 17.0% 19.4% 5

Countries ranked near Europe

  1. 21 Barbados 57.9% compare
  2. 22 Dominica 55.9% compare
  3. 23 Guinea 55.5% compare
  4. 24 Cameroon 55.5% compare
  5. 25 Tunisia 54.9% compare
  6. 26 Montenegro 54.3% compare
  7. 27 Burundi 53.1% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More infrastructure data for Europe

All data for Europe →

Frequently asked questions

What is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe?
Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe was 18.4% 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?
The highest recorded value was 19.5% in 2003.
What is the lowest unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population recorded in Europe?
The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 2016.
How does Europe rank for unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population?
Europe ranks 24th out of 28 groups with data for 2024.
Is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population rising or falling in Europe?
Over the last ten years it is up 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Europe 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/unsentenced-detainees-as-a-proportion-of-overall-prison-population-percent/europe/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/unsentenced-detainees-as-a-proportion-of-overall-prison-population-percent/europe/">Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Europe</a> — Statizoid

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
186 places, 3,007 data points, 2003–2024
Last refreshed