Number of prisoners rose 0.616% to 66,678 persons in France in 2015, according to the United Nations.
Historically, number of prisoners in France reached an all time high of 67,075 persons in 2013 and an all time low of 45,102 persons in 1989. When compared to France's main peers, number of prisoners in Belgium amounted to 10,994 persons, 63,020 persons in Germany, 53,410 persons in Italy and 61,614 persons in Spain in 2015.
France has been ranked 17th within the group of 105 countries we follow in terms of number of prisoners, 8 places above the position seen 10 years ago.
| Number of Prisoners | Unit | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| Austria | persons | 8,708 | 8,813 | 8,954 | 8,805 | 8,862 | ... | |||||||||||||||
| Belgium | persons | 10,105 | 10,968 | 11,065 | 11,212 | 12,126 | ||||||||||||||||
| France | persons | 60,978 | 60,544 | 64,787 | 66,572 | 67,075 | ||||||||||||||||
| Germany | persons | 72,295 | 70,827 | 69,543 | 68,533 | 66,221 | ||||||||||||||||
| Italy | persons | 65,598 | 69,263 | 68,325 | 67,102 | 63,848 | ||||||||||||||||
| Luxembourg | persons | ... | 702 | 681 | 637 | 666 | 656 | |||||||||||||||
| Morocco | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 57,563 | 64,877 | ... | 70,675 | 72,000 | ... | |||||||
| Netherlands | persons | 14,364 | 14,368 | 13,969 | 13,473 | 12,721 | ||||||||||||||||
| Poland | persons | 85,749 | 82,372 | 82,832 | 85,459 | 80,165 | ||||||||||||||||
| Portugal | persons | 11,287 | 11,839 | 12,955 | 13,875 | 14,535 | ||||||||||||||||
| Slovenia | persons | 1,365 | 1,351 | 1,273 | 1,377 | 1,360 | ||||||||||||||||
| Spain | persons | 76,079 | 73,929 | 70,472 | 68,597 | 66,765 | ||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | persons | 5,605 | 5,765 | 5,626 | 6,102 | 6,652 |
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