Azerbaijan ranks 2nd, and Georgia 4th, for prisoners per capita in Europe
A Council of Europe report has found that Azerbaijan ranks second in Europe after Turkey in terms of prison population per capita with 270 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants, while Georgia ranks fourth, with 232 inmates per 100,000.
Turkey ranked first with a rate of 458 prisoners per 100,000 people, according to the SPACE I 2025 report, which covers 51 prison systems across the EU and neighbouring countries.
As of 31 January, there are over 1.1 million prisoners in Council of Europe countries.
According to the report, Azerbaijani prisons are also one of the leaders in terms of prison population density, with 98 prisoners per 100 available spaces in Azerbaijan and 90 in Georgia per 100 spaces. Azerbaijan is included in the list of countries with ‘near-full occupancy’ in prisons, based on this indicator.
In Azerbaijan, the proportion of women in prison is relatively low, at 3.1%. However, data about the percentages of the inmates aged 50 or over is not available in Azerbaijan.
In Georgia’s case, the percentage of female prisoners is higher than in Azerbaijan (4.4%); however, in absolute numbers, it amounts to 377, which is lower than Azerbaijan’s figure of 863.
The data of the ratio of inmates per one staff member is also not available in Azerbaijan. The authorities stated that according to the legislation, such statistics are considered to be classified information. In the case of Georgia, as well as number of other countries, the same ratio is considered ‘Very high (the score is more than 25% higher than the European median value)’.
According to the report, of the 297 released inmates in Azerbaijan, 62 were pardoned, three were released due to illness, and 56 were released on other grounds.
In terms of average prison term, Azerbaijan ranked second after Ukraine, where the average was 39 months, while in Azerbaijan, it is 36, and in Georgia — 14. The average prison term in Azerbaijan is four times longer than in European countries.
It was reported that 16.8% of detainees in Azerbaijani prisons are held in pre-trial detention centres.
Azerbaijan’s prison population appears to be steadily growing according to the statistics; in 2020, there were 208.7 per 100,000 people, increasing to 270.6 in 2025. In Georgia’s case, the figure has declined compared to 2024, when the prison population rate stood at 260.7 per 100,000 people, while it stood at 231.9 as of 31 January 2025. This represents a 15.5% decrease compared to 2024. Overall, a 11% decline was recorded between 2015 and 2025.
In Azerbaijan, the total amount which is spent on the inmates in 2024 reached €113.8 million ($132 million), and in Georgia it hit €82.4 million ($95.5 million).
Aytan Farhadova
