UK Prison Statistics 2026: The Latest Data on Population, Capacity and Reoffending

Adult Provision Youth Provision

Fri 14 Aug 2026

This blog brings together the latest prison statistics for the UK, using trusted official and peer-reviewed sources including the MoJ, ONS, gov.uk and the Scottish Government. It draws on the same evidence base that informs Novus prison education and training.

Because prisons are devolved, figures are reported separately for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, making it easier to compare prison statistics by country. All figures are fully sourced and dated, and the content is updated regularly to reflect the most recent releases.

Key trends and takeaways at a glance
UK prison population statistics
Prison statistics by country
Prison capacity and overcrowding statistics
Prison population by gender
Female prison statistics UK
Pregnancy and mothers in prison statistics
Prison population by age
Juveniles in prison statistics
Prison population by ethnicity
Prison population by religion
Mental health in prisons statistics
ADHD and neurodiversity in prison statistics
Education in prison statistics
Reoffending and prison effectiveness statistics

Key trends and takeaways at a glance

The latest UK prison statistics show a prison system under growing pressure, with record population levels, rising demand and clear evidence that education in prison can improve outcomes after release.

England and Wales prison population remains at record levels, with more than 87,000 people in custody and the prison estate operating close to useable operational capacity
Prison population projections suggest numbers could rise towards 100,000 by 2030, increasing pressure on prison capacity and overcrowding across England and Wales
Emergency prison measures, including SDS40 early release, have been in place since 2024 as part of the response to sustained population growth
Recent prison statistics also point to an ageing prison population and rising remand levels, although the latest safety in custody release shows deaths and self-harm both easing
Education in prison remains one of the clearest positive indicators, with learners less likely to reoffend than non-learners (34% compared with 43%)

UK prison population statistics

87,000 people were in prison in England and Wales in 2024, reflecting the continued long-term growth of the prison estate.
This means the imprisonment rate now stands at around 170 prisoners per 100,000 people aged 15 and over, underlining the scale of the challenge across the system.
Recent prisoner statistics in the UK also show that the remand population is at its highest level in around 50 years.

Prison statistics by country (England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)

Prison statistics by country show clear differences across the UK, reflecting the fact that prisons are managed separately in each nation. Looking at prison statistics in Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland side by side helps build a clearer picture of how prison populations vary across the UK.

In England and Wales, the prison population stands at around 87,000,
In Scotland the average daily population reached a record 8,216 in 2024/25, equivalent to around 177 prisoners per 100,000 people aged 15 and over.
Northern Ireland has a much smaller prison population, at around 1,900 in 2024/25, with a rate of approximately 124 per 100,000 people.

Prison capacity and overcrowding statistics

Prison capacity and overcrowding statistics show how stretched the prison estate in England and Wales has become. In prison capacity statistics, useable operational capacity refers to the maximum number of people prisons can hold in operational terms, while certified normal accommodation (CNA) reflects the lower benchmark for safe and decent living conditions.

Useable operational capacity standing at 89,334 places as of 24 November 2025.
Current prison overcrowding statistics and prison overpopulation statistics show the estate holding thousands more people than the CNA level, with some establishments relying on doubled-up cells to manage demand.
This sustained pressure on prison capacity helps explain the use of SDS40 as an emergency early release policy response to easing prison overpopulation and wider prison capacity constraints.

Prison population by gender

Prison population by gender data shows that men continue to make up the vast majority of the prison population.

In March 2026, there were around 83,881 men in prison
In March 2026, there were around 3,461 women in prison
Women account for around 4% of the total prison population

These prison gender statistics highlight the scale of the gap, while men in prison statistics continue to dominate the overall picture across the prison estate.

Female prison statistics UK

Female prison statistics UK show that around 3,500 women were in prison in May 2025, dropping slightly to 3,461 in March 2026

The latest statistics of women in prison also point to complex and overlapping drivers, including high rates of domestic abuse history, poverty and mental ill-health among women in the criminal justice system.

At the same time, the use of remand has in recent years reached its highest level in decades, adding further pressure to a part of the prison estate already shaped by significant vulnerability and unmet need.

Pregnancy and mothers in prison statistics

Recent pregnancy in prison statistics show that 196 pregnant women were held in custody at some point during 2024/25
An average of 49 pregnant women were in prison at any one time in this period
Mothers in prison statistics UK also show that 47 women were approved for a Mother and Baby Unit place with their baby in the year to March 2025

Separate press-reported analysis has suggested that pregnant women in prison may be around seven times more likely to experience stillbirth than women in the wider population, although this figure should be treated with caution because it is not drawn from an official statistical release, but from a 2023 investigation by The Observer that has since been cited by organisations including Tommy's and the Howard League.

Prison population by age

Prison population by age data shows that the prison estate is getting older.

These statistics highlight a clear long-term shift in the age profile of the prison population, with fewer younger people in custody and a growing proportion of older prisoners.

17 to 18% of prisoners were aged over 50 in early 2026 compared with 9% in 2010
3.5% were aged under 21 in 2025 compared with 13% in June 2010
The largest single age group remains prisoners in their 30s, with around 28,600 people in this category in March 2026.

Juveniles in prison statistics

Juveniles in prison statistics show that 327 children aged under 18 were in custody in May 2026, down from a peak of 3,145 in July 2002.

These figures reflect a long-term fall in child custody over the past two decades, even though hundreds of children continue to be held in the secure estate each year. The data also underlines the importance of targeted education and support for young people in custody, including specialist services such as Novus Youth Provision, which help reduce reoffending and improve outcomes for children in the justice system, helping young people in custody build skills and prepare for a more positive future.

Prison population by ethnicity

In 2024, prison ethnicity statistics show that the largest group in the prison population was White prisoners at around 63,103
In 2024, there were approximately 10,624 Black prisoners
In 2024, there were approximately 7,067 Asian prisoners

These prison ethnicity statistics highlight the continued over-representation of Black and minority ethnic groups in the prison population relative to the general population.

Prison population by religion

The latest prison religion statistics show that Christianity remained the most recorded religion in custody in 2024

In 2024, there were around 39,068 Christian prisoners
In 2024, there were approximately 27,122 prisoners with no religion
In 2024, there were approximately 15,909 Muslims

Mental health in prisons statistics

Mental health in prisons statistics point to consistently high levels of need, contributing to a broader understanding of need in custody. Official Safety in Custody data also shows that self-harm and deaths in custody remain historically high, although the most recent release shows some improvement.

Research estimates suggest high levels of need in prison, including pooled prevalence of 28.9% for neurotic disorders, 23.5% for personality disorders, 22.7% for alcohol dependency and 26.7% for drug dependency

There were 72,753 recorded incidents of self-harm in prison in the 12 months to December 2025, equal to a rate of 837 incidents per 1,000 prisoners.
This was down 8% on the previous year, the largest annual fall in the current time series, though it still reflects sustained pressure across the estate.
There were 359 deaths in prison custody recorded in the 12 months to June 2026, a 10% decrease from the previous 12 months, including 71 self-inflicted deaths.

ADHD and neurodiversity in prison statistics

ADHD and neurodiversity in prison statistics remain contested, but the evidence consistently suggests that ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in custody and is widely under-diagnosed.

Older studies and advocacy-led estimates have often suggested that around one in four prisoners may have ADHD, with a widely cited earlier meta-analysis putting the figure for adults in prison at around 26%.
A 2024 updated meta-analysis by Fazel and Favril took a stricter view of study quality and estimated prevalence in unselected adult prison samples at 8.3%, arguing that some higher figures were inflated by methodology and the inclusion of selected or non-representative detained populations.

Taken together, the current picture is best understood as a genuinely contested range rather than a single settled figure, but one that still points to substantial unmet need and helps explain why ADHD prison statistics remain an important part of the wider discussion about neurodiversity in the justice system.

Education in prison statistics

Education in prison statistics show that 65% of adult prison leavers in England released in 2024 after sentences of three months or more took part in at least one accredited course, with 56% achieving a qualification
Participation was strongest among those serving longer sentences, while 52% took a vocational course and 24% participated in English or maths.

These prison education statistics highlight the value of Novus education and training and adult provision in helping learners build skills and prepare for life after release.

Reoffending and prison effectiveness statistics

Reoffending and prison effectiveness statistics show that the overall proven reoffending rate stood at 29.9%, rising sharply for adults released from shorter custodial sentences.
For adults on sentences under 12 months, the rate was 68.2%, underlining the continued challenge of reducing reoffending and improving outcomes after release.
Learners reoffend at 34% compared with 43% for non-learners.
Wider prison release statistics also point to operational pressures across the system, with releases in error reaching 192 in 2025/2026, while prison statistics by crime and remand offence mix help build a fuller picture of demand across the estate.

The 2026 prison statistics picture

The 2026 picture is clear: the UK prison system is managing record population levels, overcrowding, an ageing population and continued emergency measures designed to ease pressure across the estate.

At the same time, the data shows that education remains one of the most effective levers for improving outcomes, with learners less likely to reoffend than non-learners.

As a data-led voice in prison education, Novus uses evidence and insight to shape high-quality education and training that supports learners to build skills, gain qualifications and prepare for life after release.

To find out more, explore Novus education and training or get in touch to discuss how education can support better outcomes across the justice system.

Where the data comes from (methodology and sources)

This article draws on the latest available prison statistics from official UK Government, Ministry of Justice, Scottish Government, Parliamentary and peer-reviewed sources. As prison data is reported across different jurisdictions and timeframes, figures are dated throughout and should be read alongside the original source methodology.

Sources used