Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Ireland

Ireland: Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population was 19.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
19.3%
Change on year
down 8.0%
World rank
117th
of 147 countries
All-time high
22.3%
in 2021
All-time low
13.7%
in 2012
Years of data
22
2003–2024

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

051015202003201320242003: 17.22004: 14.42005: 15.82006: 17.32007: 18.62008: 17.12009: 14.42010: 16.22011: 14.32012: 13.72013: 15.22014: 15.22015: 16.12016: 17.22017: 202018: 202019: 20.12020: 19.72021: 22.32022: 21.42023: 212024: 19.3

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2024, unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Ireland stood at 19.3%.

That represents a change of down 8.0% on the previous year and up 27.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Ireland peaked at 22.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 13.7%, in 2012.

That places Ireland 117th out of 147 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population (%) in Ireland, 2003 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2003 17.2%
2004 14.4% -16.3%
2005 15.8% +10.2%
2006 17.3% +9.4%
2007 18.6% +7.5%
2008 17.1% -7.8%
2009 14.4% -15.7%
2010 16.2% +12.0%
2011 14.3% -11.8%
2012 13.7% -4.2%
2013 15.2% +11.5%
2014 15.2% -0.5%
2015 16.1% +6.2%
2016 17.2% +6.8%
2017 20.0% +16.3%
2018 20.0% -0.2%
2019 20.1% +0.9%
2020 19.7% -2.1%
2021 22.3% +13.3%
2022 21.4% -4.0%
2023 21.0% -2.0%
2024 19.3% -8.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 16.4% 14.4% 18.6% 7
2010s 16.8% 13.7% 20.1% 10
2020s 20.8% 19.3% 22.3% 5

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 114 Austria 19.6% compare
  2. 115 Lesotho 19.5% compare
  3. 116 Suriname 19.4% compare
  4. 118 Georgia 19.3% compare
  5. 119 Mongolia 18.9% compare
  6. 120 Puerto Rico 18.8% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More infrastructure data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Ireland?
Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Ireland was 19.3% 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 Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 22.3% in 2021.
What is the lowest unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 13.7% in 2012.
How does Ireland rank for unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population?
Ireland ranks 117th out of 147 countries with data for 2024.
Is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland 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 Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/unsentenced-detainees-as-a-proportion-of-overall-prison-population-percent/ireland/

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