Male adults held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions fell 5.72% to 7,117 persons in Bulgaria in 2015, according to the United Nations.
Historically, male adults held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions in Bulgaria reached an all time high of 10,918 persons in 2005 and an all time low of 7,117 persons in 2015. When compared to Bulgaria's main peers, male adults held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions in Greece amounted to 8,985 persons, 26,591 persons in Romania, 9,479 persons in Serbia and 169,292 persons in Turkey in 2015.
Bulgaria has been ranked 40th within the group of 66 countries we follow in terms of male adults held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions, 14 places below the position seen 10 years ago.
| Male 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 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 4,466 | 4,461 | 4,454 | 4,439 | 4,802 | |||||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,161 | 2,193 | ... | 2,465 | ||
| Bulgaria | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 8,708 | 9,015 | 9,507 | 9,111 | 8,493 | |||||||
| Croatia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 4,898 | 4,784 | 4,471 | 4,081 | ||
| Greece | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10,300 | 11,204 | 11,330 | 11,318 | 11,593 | ||||||
| Hungary | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 13,931 | 14,758 | 15,470 | 15,440 | 16,027 | ... | ||||||
| Iran | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Iraq | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Macedonia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,160 | 2,160 | 2,162 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Moldova | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 6,043 | 5,840 | 5,979 | 6,083 | 6,349 | ... | ||||||
| Romania | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 25,052 | 26,538 | 28,889 | 29,968 | 31,383 | |||||||
| Serbia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10,297 | 10,535 | 10,371 | 9,754 | 9,389 | ||||
| Turkey | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 109,648 | 114,551 | 121,731 | 129,181 | 138,344 | ||||
| Ukraine | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 106,499 | 108,206 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Helgi Library 
