Answered from official statistics · Ministry of Justice
How many people are in prison in England and Wales?
86,843people
Prison population was 86,843 people in the week beginning 24 August 2026, up 0.1% (121) from 86,722 in the week beginning 17 August 2026.
- Ministry of Justice
- Prison population: weekly estate figures
- Population and Capacity Briefing
- published 24 August 2026
- full metric page
Prison population: 86,843 people, Week beginning 24 August 2026
The number of people held in prisons in England and Wales on the Monday named in the Ministry of Justice's weekly population bulletin, across the adult male, female and youth custody estates.
Prison useable operational capacity: 88,937 places, Week beginning 24 August 2026
The total number of prisoners that prisons in England and Wales could hold on the Monday named in the weekly bulletin, allowing for control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime.
Since the current government took office
| Metric | Inherited | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prison population | Not enough comparable periods yet. | ||
| Prison useable operational capacity | Not enough comparable periods yet. | ||
Changes during a government do not by themselves show what it caused. Method.
What these figures don’t measure
Prison population: People held in immigration removal centres, police cells or secure hospitals, people on home detention curfew, or prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Prison useable operational capacity: Certified normal accommodation (the uncrowded capacity), cells out of use for repair, or places in immigration removal centres.