Number of prisoners rose 8.93% to 18,560 persons in Zambia in 2015, according to the United Nations.
Historically, number of prisoners in Zambia reached an all time high of 18,560 persons in 2015 and an all time low of 13,200 persons in 2003. When compared to Zambia's main peers, number of prisoners in Angola amounted to 24,165 persons, 34,404 persons in Tanzania, 18,857 persons in Zimbabwe and 20,550 persons in Dem. Republic of the Congo in 2015.
Zambia has been ranked 38th within the group of 105 countries we follow in terms of number of prisoners, 16 places above the position seen 10 years ago.
| Number of Prisoners | Unit | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| Angola | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 16,183 | ... | 19,898 | ... | 21,634 | ||||
| Botswana | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 8,706 | 7,005 | 4,712 | 4,241 | 3,826 | ||||||||
| Central African Republic | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,145 | ... | 845 | ... | ... | ... | |||
| Congo | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,410 | ... | 1,400 | ... | 1,500 | ... | |||
| Dem. Republic of the Congo | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 22,000 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ||
| Kenya | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 48,122 | 48,153 | 51,068 | 44,522 | 53,430 | |||||
| Mozambique | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 35,235 | 15,249 | 16,304 | ... | 15,663 | |||||||
| Namibia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 4,251 | ... | ... | 4,010 | ... | |||
| South Africa | persons | ... | 163,312 | 159,265 | 158,165 | 156,370 | ... | |||||||||||||||
| Tanzania | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 40,111 | 39,000 | 38,353 | 33,338 | 36,552 | |||||||
| Uganda | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 31,173 | 31,230 | 32,021 | 35,212 | 39,568 | ... | |||||||
| Zambia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 15,544 | 16,666 | ... | 17,000 | 17,021 | |||||
| Zimbabwe | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 13,361 | ... | 16,900 | 16,902 |
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