Strasbourg, 18 July 2025 (MIA) - Prison overcrowding remains one of the most visible indicators of strain in European penal systems, with an average density across Europe at 87 inmates per 100 available places, reads the Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics survey, better known as SPACE.

Overcrowding is classified into three levels of severity. Severe overcrowding, defined as over 110 inmates per 100 places - is observed in Slovenia (134%), France (124%), Italy (118%), Romania (116%), and Belgium (113%). The report notes these countries exceed the threshold by a significant margin and report some of the most pressing conditions in the region.

North Macedonia (101%) falls into the second category of moderate overcrowding (100–110%), also including Croatia (110%), Ireland (105%), Sweden (105%), Hungary (104%), Azerbaijan (103%), Finland (103%) and Türkiye (102%). The report says that though less acute, these levels still pose considerable challenges to daily prison management and service provision.

Finally, several jurisdictions operate at or near full capacity, such as Scotland (100.3%), England and Wales (98.3%), and Serbia (97.9%), where minor fluctuations in admissions can tip systems into overcrowding.

As of 31 January 2024, a total of 1,021,431 individuals were held in custody across the 51 prison administrations of the 46 Council of Europe member states. Adjusted for population size, the average prison population rate in Europe was 122 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants.

The highest prison population rates continue to be concentrated in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, where systems tend to favour custodial sanctions. Türkiye, with 356 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants, leads the region, followed closely by Azerbaijan (264), Georgia (261), and Republic of Moldova (235). In contrast, Western and Northern European countries consistently maintain lower incarceration levels. The Netherlands, Norway, and Finland, for example, each report a rate of 54 inmates per 100,000, with Germany (71) and Switzerland (77) also well below the European average. North Macedonia has 143 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants.

MIA file photo