Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Malaysia

Malaysia: Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population was 32.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
32.6%
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
72nd
of 147 countries
All-time high
40.5%
in 2020
All-time low
22.7%
in 2013
Years of data
13
2005–2024

Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Malaysia, 2005–2024

0102030402005201420242005: 37.52010: 27.32013: 22.72015: 25.82016: 29.42017: 26.52018: 272019: 27.52020: 40.52021: 39.42022: 29.52023: 332024: 32.6

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2024, unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Malaysia stood at 32.6%.

That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and up 43.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Malaysia peaked at 40.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 22.7%, in 2013.

That places Malaysia 72nd out of 147 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population (%) in Malaysia, 2005 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2005 37.5%
2010 27.3% -27.2%
2013 22.7% -16.8%
2015 25.8% +13.7%
2016 29.4% +13.9%
2017 26.5% -9.7%
2018 27.0% +1.7%
2019 27.5% +1.9%
2020 40.5% +47.2%
2021 39.4% -2.8%
2022 29.5% -25.0%
2023 33.0% +11.8%
2024 32.6% -1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 37.5% 37.5% 37.5% 1
2010s 26.6% 22.7% 29.4% 7
2020s 35.0% 29.5% 40.5% 5

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 69 Sao Tome and Principe 32.8% compare
  2. 70 Solomon Islands 32.7% compare
  3. 71 Bahamas 32.7% compare
  4. 73 Vanuatu 32.3% compare
  5. 74 Seychelles 31.6% compare
  6. 75 Burkina Faso 29.0% compare
  7. 75 Libya 29.0% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More infrastructure data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Malaysia?
Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in Malaysia was 32.6% 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 40.5% in 2020.
What is the lowest unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 22.7% in 2013.
How does Malaysia rank for unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population?
Malaysia ranks 72nd out of 147 countries with data for 2024.
Is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 43.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia 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 Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/unsentenced-detainees-as-a-proportion-of-overall-prison-population-percent/malaysia/

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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