Council of Europe: Montenegro among European countries with the highest prison rate per 100.000 inhabitants

Montenegro is among the European countries with the highest rate of prisoners per 100.000 inhabitants, and has recorded a significant increase in the prison population in Europe in the past year, according to the latest Council of Europe (CoE) report on annual penal statistics (SPACE I).

The report states that on 31 January 2025, there were a total of 1.107.921 people in custody or serving prison sentences in 51 prisons in the CoE member states. The prison population rate in Europe was 110 prisoners per 100.000 inhabitants, while in Montenegro this indicator was significantly higher - 200 prisoners per 100.000 inhabitants.

According to the same data, Montenegro is in the group of countries with the highest incarceration rates, behind Turkey, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Georgia and Hungary, and ahead of Albania, Poland, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

"The countries with the highest incarceration rates were Turkey (458 prisoners per 100.000 population), Azerbaijan (271), the Republic of Moldova (245), Georgia (232), Hungary (206), Montenegro (200), Albania (192), Poland (189), Latvia (189), the Czech Republic (178), Serbia (174), Lithuania (154) and Slovakia (151)," the report said.

In Montenegro, the document states, the prison population rate increased significantly in just one year - from January 2024 to January 2025, the growth was 22 percent.

At the same time, Montenegro is not among the European countries with overcrowded prisons - the average rate in Europe is 89 prisoners per 100 available places. Montenegro is below that average, with 85 prisoners per 100 available places.

The Council of Europe states that more than half of the prisoners in Montenegro's prison system are remand prisoners, or persons who have not been convicted by a final verdict. In Europe, according to the report, 26 percent of all prisoners were in remand prison, while in Montenegro that share was 53 percent.

"The prison systems with the highest shares were Albania (62%), Montenegro (53%), Armenia (52%), Switzerland (49%), the Netherlands (45%), Luxembourg (45%), Croatia (42%), Iceland (42%), Northern Ireland (UK) (40%), Ukraine (40%), Malta (37%) and Slovenia (34%)," the report said.

The report also states that the average age of prisoners in European penal institutions was 39 years, with significant differences between countries. Italy and Portugal reported the oldest average age of prisoners at 42 years, followed by Montenegro, Estonia and Serbia, with 41 years.

Montenegro, however, is among the countries with the lowest proportion of women in the prison population. In Europe, women made up 5,2 percent of prisoners, while in Montenegro the proportion was 2,8 percent. Only Albania, with 1,6 percent, and Armenia, with 2,6 percent, had a lower proportion.

"The lowest proportions of female prisoners were recorded in Albania (1,6%), Armenia (2,6%), Montenegro (2,8%), Azerbaijan (3,1%), France (3,4%), Bulgaria (3,9%), England and Wales (UK) (4%), Scotland (UK) (4%) and Belgium (4,2%)," the report said.

When it comes to the share of foreign citizens serving sentences, Montenegro is below the European average at 16 percent.

The prison administrations of Luxembourg, Switzerland, Cyprus, Austria, Slovenia, Catalonia, Greece, Malta, Germany and Belgium had the highest proportion of foreign nationals. The document states that Montenegro, England and Wales, Georgia, Armenia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Scotland, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia, Latvia and Slovakia were below the European average.

"Drug-related crimes remain the most common offenses for which people served prison sentences (17,3%), followed by theft (12,1%). Approximately one in three convicted prisoners served sentences for violent crimes, including murder or attempted murder (10,9%), rape or other sexual crimes (8,6%), assault (6,3%) and robbery (6,1%). A total of 2,7 percent of prisoners were convicted of road traffic crimes, and the same proportion of prisoners were convicted of economic or financial crimes," the accompanying statement from the Council of Europe states.