France and Turkey have most overcrowded jails in Europe, report reveals
A recent report indicates that France and Turkey have the highest levels of prison overcrowding in Europe, with 131 inmates for every 100 places. The situation has worsened in France, where overcrowding is now estimated at 139.1%. Other countries with significant overcrowding include Croatia, Italy, and Malta, while Ukraine and Germany report much lower rates.
- ▪France and Turkey have the highest levels of prison overcrowding in Europe.
- ▪Prison overcrowding in France is estimated at 139.1% as of April 2026.
- ▪Countries like Croatia, Italy, and Malta also report significant overcrowding.
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The Villepinte prison near Paris, April 13, 2017. PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP France and Turkey have the highest levels of prison overcrowding among Council of Europe member states, with 131 inmates for every 100 places, a specially commissioned report said on Tuesday, May 19. These figures, compiled by the University of Lausanne for the 46-member Strasbourg-based body, date back to early 2025. Since then, the French authorities have provided more recent and even more alarming numbers, with prison overcrowding estimated at 139.1% in April 2026. Of the 51 prison administrations that supplied data (some countries, such as Spain, Britain and Bosnia, report by region), 14 have more prisoners than available places.
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