Cyprus had the European Union’s most overcrowded prisons in 2023, with occupancy reaching 226.2%, nearly double the rate of second-placed France, according to data released by Eurostat on Monday.
France recorded a prison occupancy rate of 122.9%, followed by Italy at 119.1%, the EU’s statistical office said in its annual report on prison populations across the bloc.
Thirteen EU member states reported overcrowded prisons, defined as facilities housing more inmates than their official capacity.
Cyprus held 959 prisoners in 2023, the highest number recorded in the country since 2013. Despite the severe overcrowding, Cyprus had 101 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants, below the EU average of 111.
The lowest prison occupancy rates were reported in Estonia (56.2%), Luxembourg (60.8%) and Bulgaria (67.7%).
Across the EU, the total prison population reached 499,000 in 2023, up 3.2% from 2022. This continues an upward trend, with prisoner numbers increasing by 7.7% between 2021 and 2023, following a 6.6% drop in 2020.
Poland had the highest incarceration rate with 203 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Hungary (187) and the Czech Republic (181). Finland (53), the Netherlands (66) and Slovenia (68) reported the lowest rates.
Read more:
