Adults held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions fell 5.70% to 7,362 persons in Bulgaria in 2015, according to the United Nations.
Historically, adults held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions in Bulgaria reached an all time high of 11,305 persons in 2005 and an all time low of 7,362 persons in 2015. When compared to Bulgaria's main peers, adults held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions in Greece amounted to 9,473 persons, 28,018 persons in Romania, 9,836 persons in Serbia and 175,695 persons in Turkey in 2015.
Bulgaria has been ranked 39th within the group of 64 countries we follow in terms of adults held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions, 3 places above the position seen 10 years ago.
| Adults Held in Prisons, Penal or Correctional Institutions | Unit | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| Albania | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 4,579 | 4,557 | 4,538 | 4,521 | 4,891 | ||||||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,221 | 2,231 | ... | 2,521 | ||||
| Bulgaria | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 8,948 | 9,306 | 9,796 | 9,418 | 8,756 | ||||||||
| Croatia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 4,827 | 5,126 | 5,029 | 4,673 | 4,269 | ||||||||
| Greece | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10,854 | 11,781 | 11,892 | 11,875 | 12,241 | ||||||
| Hungary | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 14,920 | 15,767 | 16,686 | 16,665 | 17,363 | ... | |||||||
| Iran | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Iraq | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Macedonia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,215 | 2,157 | 2,212 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ||||
| Moldova | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 6,444 | 6,227 | 6,382 | 6,498 | 6,778 | ... | ||||||
| Romania | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 26,246 | 27,785 | 30,244 | 31,373 | 32,922 | ||||||||
| Serbia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10,699 | 10,962 | 10,794 | 9,994 | 9,791 | ||||
| Turkey | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 113,661 | 118,701 | 126,270 | 134,019 | 143,500 | ||||||||
| Ukraine | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 146,789 | 113,230 | 115,068 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
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