Based on a comparison of 64 countries in 2018, USA ranked the highest in adults held in prisons, penal or correctional institutions with 2,168,600 persons followed by Russia and Brazil. On the other end of the scale was Cuba with 523 persons, Malta with 564 persons and Luxembourg with 689 persons.
Data for more countries are available at Adults Held in Prisons, Penal or Correctional Institutions indicator page.
| 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 |
| Algeria | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 50,000 | 48,506 | 49,582 | 49,567 | 59,744 | ||||||||
| Argentina | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 54,758 | 58,917 | 60,106 | 61,192 | 64,109 | ||||||
| Brazil | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 473,626 | 496,251 | 514,582 | 549,786 | 582,483 | |||||
| France | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 60,309 | 59,856 | 64,075 | 65,848 | 66,344 | |||||
| Georgia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 72,295 | 70,827 | 69,543 | 68,533 | 66,221 | |||||||
| Indonesia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 152,093 | 154,985 | ||
| Mexico | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 224,749 | 219,027 | 230,943 | 224,969 | 246,334 | ||||||||
| Peru | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 61,390 | 67,597 | ||||||
| Philippines | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 57,317 | 58,877 | 63,816 | 68,948 | 71,735 | |||||||
| Poland | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 80,179 | 77,522 | 78,467 | 81,306 | 76,596 | ||||||||
| Russia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 856,081 | 812,281 | 751,209 | 698,013 | 673,930 | |||||||
| Thailand | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 213,094 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ||||
| Turkey | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 113,661 | 118,701 | 126,270 | 134,019 | 143,500 | ||||||||
| USA | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,281,900 | 2,269,200 | 2,244,800 | 2,224,700 | 2,216,600 | ||||||||
| United Kingdom | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 88,164 | 90,783 | 91,915 | 92,654 | 90,142 |
Helgi Library 
