Number of prisoners rose 4.31% to 53,990 persons in South Korea in 2015, according to the United Nations.
Historically, number of prisoners in South Korea reached an all time high of 57,336 persons in 2003 and an all time low of 45,038 persons in 2011.
South Korea has been ranked 23rd within the group of 105 countries we follow in terms of number of prisoners, 6 places above the position seen 10 years ago.
| Number of Prisoners | Unit | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| Cambodia | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 14,043 | ... | 15,397 | ... | ... | ||||||
| China | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,623,394 | 1,646,593 | 1,656,773 | 1,641,931 | 1,680,000 | ... | |||||||
| Dem. People's Republic of Korea | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| India | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 376,969 | 368,998 | 372,926 | 385,135 | 411,992 | ||||||||
| Japan | persons | 75,250 | 72,975 | 69,876 | 67,008 | 62,971 | ... | |||||||||||||||
| Laos | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | |
| Russia | persons | 863,899 | 818,037 | 755,648 | 701,909 | 677,287 | ... | |||||||||||||||
| South Korea | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 48,228 | 45,681 | 45,038 | 46,708 | 48,824 | ||||||||
| Thailand | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 213,094 | 210,855 | 224,492 | 234,895 | 279,854 | |||||||
| USA | persons | 2,297,700 | 2,279,100 | 2,252,500 | 2,231,400 | 2,231,400 | ||||||||||||||||
| Vietnam | persons | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 107,668 | ... | 113,018 | 130,180 | ... |
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