Civometry

Prison population, annual average, 1900 to 2018: record highs and lows

The extremes of prison population, annual average, 1900 to 2018 as published by Ministry of Justice, across the 119 periods held here (1900 to 2018). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

The latest figure, 83,296 in 2018, is the lowest since 2008, when it was 82,572 — every period between was higher. The rule: a period counts as beaten only when its figure is strictly above the latest, and the claim is only made when it reaches back at least five years.

Highest published

86,6342012

Lowest published

9,1991918

The full series

Prison population, annual average, 1900 to 2018: 1900 to 2018ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservative025k50k75k190019101920193019401950196019701980199020002010Before: Month-end snapshot of the prison population. After: Last Friday of the month from July 2009 to February 2010, then a new prison IT system from 2010.methodology change1900: 17,435 people · published 26 July 20191901: 18,980 people · published 26 July 20191902: 19,437 people · published 26 July 20191903: 20,795 people · published 26 July 20191904: 21,428 people · published 26 July 20191905: 21,525 people · published 26 July 20191906: 21,074 people · published 26 July 20191907: 20,926 people · published 26 July 20191908: 22,146 people · published 26 July 20191909: 22,018 people · published 26 July 20191910: 20,904 people · published 26 July 20191911: 19,797 people · published 26 July 20191912: 19,442 people · published 26 July 20191913: 18,236 people · published 26 July 20191914: 15,808 people · published 26 July 20191915: 11,311 people · published 26 July 20191916: 10,058 people · published 26 July 20191917: 9,660 people · published 26 July 20191918: 9,199 people · published 26 July 20191919: 9,683 people · published 26 July 20191920: 11,000 people · published 26 July 20191921: 12,179 people · published 26 July 20191922: 11,766 people · published 26 July 20191923: 11,148 people · published 26 July 20191924: 10,750 people · published 26 July 20191925: 10,509 people · published 26 July 20191926: 10,860 people · published 26 July 20191927: 11,179 people · published 26 July 20191928: 11,109 people · published 26 July 20191929: 10,861 people · published 26 July 20191930: 11,346 people · published 26 July 20191931: 11,676 people · published 26 July 20191932: 12,803 people · published 26 July 20191933: 12,986 people · published 26 July 20191934: 12,238 people · published 26 July 20191935: 11,306 people · published 26 July 20191936: 10,613 people · published 26 July 20191937: 10,562 people · published 26 July 20191938: 11,086 people · published 26 July 20191939: 10,326 people · published 26 July 20191940: 9,377 people · published 26 July 20191941: 10,635 people · published 26 July 20191942: 12,400 people · published 26 July 20191943: 12,790 people · published 26 July 20191944: 12,915 people · published 26 July 20191945: 14,708 people · published 26 July 20191946: 15,789 people · published 26 July 20191947: 17,067 people · published 26 July 20191948: 19,765 people · published 26 July 20191949: 19,879 people · published 26 July 20191950: 20,474 people · published 26 July 20191951: 21,780 people · published 26 July 20191952: 23,680 people · published 26 July 20191953: 23,610 people · published 26 July 20191954: 22,421 people · published 26 July 20191955: 21,134 people · published 26 July 20191956: 20,807 people · published 26 July 20191957: 22,602 people · published 26 July 20191958: 25,379 people · published 26 July 20191959: 26,623 people · published 26 July 20191960: 27,099 people · published 26 July 20191961: 29,025 people · published 26 July 20191962: 31,063 people · published 26 July 20191963: 30,896 people · published 26 July 20191964: 29,600 people · published 26 July 20191965: 30,421 people · published 26 July 20191966: 33,086 people · published 26 July 20191967: 35,009 people · published 26 July 20191968: 32,461 people · published 26 July 20191969: 34,667 people · published 26 July 20191970: 39,028 people · published 26 July 20191971: 39,708 people · published 26 July 20191972: 38,328 people · published 26 July 20191973: 36,774 people · published 26 July 20191974: 36,867 people · published 26 July 20191975: 39,820 people · published 26 July 20191976: 41,443 people · published 26 July 20191977: 41,570 people · published 26 July 20191978: 41,796 people · published 26 July 20191979: 42,220 people · published 26 July 20191980: 42,264 people · published 26 July 20191981: 43,311 people · published 26 July 20191982: 43,707 people · published 26 July 20191983: 43,462 people · published 26 July 20191984: 43,295 people · published 26 July 20191985: 46,233 people · published 26 July 20191986: 46,770 people · published 26 July 20191987: 48,426 people · published 26 July 20191988: 48,872 people · published 26 July 20191989: 48,500 people · published 26 July 20191990: 44,975 people · published 26 July 20191991: 44,809 people · published 26 July 20191992: 44,719 people · published 26 July 20191993: 44,552 people · published 26 July 20191994: 48,621 people · published 26 July 20191995: 50,962 people · published 26 July 20191996: 55,281 people · published 26 July 20191997: 61,114 people · published 26 July 20191998: 65,298 people · published 26 July 20191999: 64,771 people · published 26 July 20192000: 64,602 people · published 26 July 20192001: 66,301 people · published 26 July 20192002: 70,778 people · published 26 July 20192003: 73,038 people · published 26 July 20192004: 74,657 people · published 26 July 20192005: 75,979 people · published 26 July 20192006: 78,127 people · published 26 July 20192007: 80,216 people · published 26 July 20192008: 82,572 people · published 26 July 20192009: 83,559 people · published 26 July 20192010: 84,725 people · published 26 July 20192011: 85,951 people · published 26 July 20192012: 86,634 people · published 26 July 20192013: 84,249 people · published 26 July 20192014: 85,307 people · published 26 July 20192015: 85,626 people · published 26 July 20192016: 85,348 people · published 26 July 20192017: 85,632 people · published 26 July 20192018: 83,296 people · published 26 July 2019
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestDashed line: change in coverage or methodShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.