Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in South Africa
South Africa: Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population was 38.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in South Africa, 2005–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 38.0% for unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in 2024. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 16.9% on the previous year and up 39.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in South Africa peaked at 38.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 26.2%, in 2015.
That places South Africa 58th out of 164 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 29.4% | — |
| 2010 | 29.1% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 29.0% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 29.6% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 28.7% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 27.2% | -5.2% |
| 2015 | 26.2% | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 26.2% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 27.0% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 28.2% | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 29.3% | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 33.3% | +13.7% |
| 2021 | 34.0% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 32.5% | -4.2% |
| 2024 | 38.0% | +16.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.4% | 29.4% | 29.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 28.1% | 26.2% | 29.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.5% | 32.5% | 38.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More infrastructure data for South Africa
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 114.79 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 179.34 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.01 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 1.58 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0158 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -25.13 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 1.01 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.79 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in South Africa?
- Unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population in South Africa was 38.0% 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 38.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.2% in 2015.
- How does South Africa rank for unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 164 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unsentenced detainees as a proportion of overall prison population rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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 — 15 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).