Prisons are facilities where people who break laws or commit crimes are legally held as a punishment. The United States has the most prisoners on record with over 2 million incarcerated at a rate of 655 prisoners per 100,000 residents. China, the most populous country in the world is at number two with over 1.7 million prisoners.
See the rest of the list below.
1. United States
Number of prisoners – 2.1 million
2. China
Number of prisoners – 1.7 million
3. Brazil
Number of prisoners – 773,000
4. Russian Federation
Number of prisoners – 511,000
5. India
Number of prisoners – 466,000
6. Thailand
Number of prisoners – 375,000
7. Turkey
Number of prisoners – 286,000
8. Iran
Number of prisoners – 240,000
9. Philippines
Number of prisoners – 215,000
10. Indonesia
Number of prisoners – 286,000
11. Mexico
Number of prisoners – 198,000
12. South Africa
Number of prisoners – 154,000
13. Vietnam
Number of prisoners – 123,000
14. Ethiopia
Number of prisoners – 113,000
15. Colombia
Number of prisoners – 112,000
Note – figures are rounded off
Source – Statista
