With an occupancy rate of 226.2 per cent, Cyprus had the most overcrowded prisons among EU member states in 2023, according to data released by Eurostat on Monday.

In 2023, 13 EU member states were reported as accommodating more prisoners than they were designed to house.

However, Cyprus was below the EU average in terms of prisoner per population, with 101 prisoners for every 100,000 inhabitants and a total of 959 prisoners, but this is the highest number since 2013.

In terms of occupancy rate, France ranked second at 122.9 per cent – yet far from Cypriot numbers.
The lowest prison occupancy rates were recorded in Estonia at 56.2 per cent and Luxembourg at 60.8 per cent.

On an EU level, the highest ratio of prisoners per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2023 was recorded in Poland at 203 and Hungary at 187 prisoners. Finland with 53 and the Netherlands saw the lowest ratio.