Europe · Northern Europe

United Kingdom

High confidence

Verified 20 May 2026 · Data dated 27 Apr 2026

Fresh · 9d ago

Combined England & Wales (~88k), Scotland (~8k), Northern Ireland (~1.8k). 2024 capacity crisis led to SDS40 early-release scheme.

Compare United Kingdom World Prison Brief page

Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always verify with primary sources before acting on any figure. See data sources.

Prison population

85,704

Year: 2026

Rate per 100,000

136

Per 100,000 residents

Occupancy

104.8%

Above design capacity

Pre-trial / remand

18.3%

Share not yet sentenced

Female prisoners

3.8%

Foreign nationals

12.3%

Conditions risk — across 584 facilities

Average of our computed Conditions Risk Score across the country's facilities. Methodology · Browse highest-risk

4/100

national average

1 elevated 4 moderate 52 low 527 unknown

How United Kingdom compares

vs Europe (16) & global averages

Rate per 100,000this: 136 · region: 106 · global: 214

Occupancy ratethis: 105% · region: 96% · global: 125%

Pre-trial sharethis: 18% · region: 28% · global: 32%

The vertical ticks mark the global (grey) and regional (amber) means. Bars are clipped at the high end for readability.

Prison population over time

Annual figures, latest survey year

2000: 64,602+24.9% over 22y2022: 80,659

What we know — and don't

Transparency about the boundaries of this data. Click sources where linked.

What we know

HMI Prisons publishes independent inspection reports for every facility on roughly a 5-year cycle.

Notable concerns

Operating above 99% of usable operational capacity since mid-2023; Standard Determinate Sentences early-release scheme active.

Reform in United Kingdom

All reform →

Laws, programmes, and pilots changing how United Kingdom incarcerates — plus relevant research.

SDS40 emergency early-release scheme2024–ongoing
decarceration · active
Faced with England & Wales prisons running out of cells in 2024, the new Labour government legislated to release most standard-determinate-sentence prisoners after 40% (rather than 50%) of their term served. The change applies to eligible prisoners across the existing population and to new sentences.

Country reports

Prison Population Projections 2024–2029 (England & Wales) · 2024
Preventing Prison Suicides · 2023

Capacity

—

Held

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Atkinson Secure Children's Home

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

Auchinleck, Temple, Camp 22, Base Camp

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

Auchterarder, Prisoner of War Camp

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

Aycliffe Secure Services

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

Ayr, Doonfoot, Greenan Road, Camp 14, Base Camp

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

Bagillt Gaol (Lock Up)

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

Balbirnie Prisoner of War Camp Number 77

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

Balbrogie, Prisoner of War Camp

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

Balhary, Camp 3

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

Ballingry, Capeldrae

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

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Banstead Prisoner-of-War Camp

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

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Barley lock-up

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

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Barton Moss Education Centre

United Kingdom · Salford

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

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Beaumaris Gaol

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

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Beechfield Secure Children's Home

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

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Beecraigs, Prisoner of War Camp

United Kingdom

Type

—

Capacity

—

Held

—

See all 584 prisons in United Kingdom →

Data completeness

100%

Score based on how many fields are populated. We surface this so you know where the gaps are.

National population: 63,100,0002026
Source-verified: 20 May 2026
Source links: 3 cited

Sources

Direct citations for the figures on this page.

Primary reference
World Prison Brief (ICPS, Birkbeck) — Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research
Find a prison — GOV.UK — UK Ministry of Justice / HMPPS
HM Inspectorate of Prisons — reports — HMI Prisons (UK)
See /data-sources for our methodology.

Recent reports

HMP Frankland12 Apr 2025
Hashem Abedi (Manchester Arena bombing conspirator) attacked staff with boiling water and home-made weapons; three officers injured.
Independent Monitoring Board · source
HMP Wandsworth15 Apr 2024
Among the worst inspections in recent UK history. High self-harm, high inter-prisoner violence, severe overcrowding at ~166% of design capacity.
HMI Prisons inspection report · source
HMP Wandsworth6 Sept 2023
Daniel Khalife's escape from HMP Wandsworth exposed staffing-level failures and procedural breakdowns. Operating manager and Director-General changes followed.
HMPPS internal review · source
HMP Belmarsh15 Aug 2023
Found significant lockdowns, restricted regimes for many inmates, and limited purposeful activity. Healthcare provision rated 'reasonably good'.
HMI Prisons inspection report · source
HMP Cookham Wood15 Feb 2023
Urgent Notification: children spending 23+ hours per day in cell; education provision close to non-existent; widespread frustration leading to violence.
HMI Prisons Urgent Notification · source
HMP Nottingham20 Feb 2020
Second Urgent Notification in 18 months — six self-inflicted deaths in 13 months, regime restrictions worse than at the previous UN.
HMI Prisons Urgent Notification · source
HMP Bristol12 Jun 2019
Urgent Notification: men spending up to 23 hours per day locked in cells; eight self-inflicted deaths in 21 months.
HMI Prisons Urgent Notification · source