Civometry

Prison population at month end, 2015 onwards: record highs and lows

The extremes of prison population at month end, 2015 onwards as published by Ministry of Justice, across the 133 periods held here (June 2015 to June 2026). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

Highest published

88,439August 2024

Lowest published

77,859April 2021

The full series

Prison population at month end, 2015 onwards: June 2015 to June 2026ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabour025k50k75k201620182020202220242026June 2015: 86,193 people · published 30 July 2026July 2015: 86,179 people · published 30 July 2026August 2015: 85,679 people · published 30 July 2026September 2015: 85,886 people · published 30 July 2026October 2015: 85,534 people · published 30 July 2026November 2015: 85,920 people · published 30 July 2026December 2015: 84,968 people · published 30 July 2026January 2016: 85,495 people · published 30 July 2026February 2016: 85,766 people · published 30 July 2026March 2016: 85,441 people · published 30 July 2026April 2016: 85,052 people · published 30 July 2026May 2016: 85,558 people · published 30 July 2026June 2016: 85,134 people · published 30 July 2026July 2016: 84,984 people · published 30 July 2026August 2016: 84,997 people · published 30 July 2026September 2016: 85,639 people · published 30 July 2026October 2016: 85,926 people · published 30 July 2026November 2016: 85,873 people · published 30 July 2026December 2016: 84,307 people · published 30 July 2026January 2017: 85,226 people · published 30 July 2026February 2017: 85,433 people · published 30 July 2026March 2017: 85,513 people · published 30 July 2026April 2017: 84,897 people · published 30 July 2026May 2017: 85,376 people · published 30 July 2026June 2017: 85,863 people · published 30 July 2026July 2017: 86,191 people · published 30 July 2026August 2017: 86,320 people · published 30 July 2026September 2017: 85,997 people · published 30 July 2026October 2017: 86,265 people · published 30 July 2026November 2017: 86,124 people · published 30 July 2026December 2017: 84,373 people · published 30 July 2026January 2018: 84,511 people · published 30 July 2026February 2018: 84,282 people · published 30 July 2026March 2018: 83,263 people · published 30 July 2026April 2018: 83,733 people · published 30 July 2026May 2018: 83,300 people · published 30 July 2026June 2018: 82,773 people · published 30 July 2026July 2018: 82,988 people · published 30 July 2026August 2018: 83,052 people · published 30 July 2026September 2018: 83,005 people · published 30 July 2026October 2018: 83,268 people · published 30 July 2026November 2018: 83,146 people · published 30 July 2026December 2018: 82,236 people · published 30 July 2026January 2019: 82,515 people · published 30 July 2026February 2019: 82,537 people · published 30 July 2026March 2019: 82,634 people · published 30 July 2026April 2019: 82,593 people · published 30 July 2026May 2019: 82,617 people · published 30 July 2026June 2019: 82,710 people · published 30 July 2026July 2019: 83,059 people · published 30 July 2026August 2019: 82,956 people · published 30 July 2026September 2019: 83,810 people · published 30 July 2026October 2019: 83,664 people · published 30 July 2026November 2019: 83,256 people · published 30 July 2026December 2019: 82,868 people · published 30 July 2026January 2020: 83,329 people · published 30 July 2026February 2020: 83,708 people · published 30 July 2026March 2020: 82,990 people · published 30 July 2026April 2020: 80,873 people · published 30 July 2026May 2020: 79,964 people · published 30 July 2026June 2020: 79,514 people · published 30 July 2026July 2020: 79,643 people · published 30 July 2026August 2020: 79,228 people · published 30 July 2026September 2020: 79,235 people · published 30 July 2026October 2020: 78,874 people · published 30 July 2026November 2020: 78,854 people · published 30 July 2026December 2020: 78,180 people · published 30 July 2026January 2021: 78,104 people · published 30 July 2026February 2021: 77,987 people · published 30 July 2026March 2021: 78,058 people · published 30 July 2026April 2021: 77,859 people · published 30 July 2026May 2021: 77,972 people · published 30 July 2026June 2021: 78,324 people · published 30 July 2026July 2021: 78,318 people · published 30 July 2026August 2021: 78,888 people · published 30 July 2026September 2021: 78,756 people · published 30 July 2026October 2021: 79,340 people · published 30 July 2026November 2021: 79,737 people · published 30 July 2026December 2021: 79,092 people · published 30 July 2026January 2022: 79,484 people · published 30 July 2026February 2022: 79,698 people · published 30 July 2026March 2022: 79,773 people · published 30 July 2026April 2022: 79,404 people · published 30 July 2026May 2022: 80,157 people · published 30 July 2026June 2022: 80,659 people · published 30 July 2026July 2022: 80,990 people · published 30 July 2026August 2022: 81,334 people · published 30 July 2026September 2022: 81,309 people · published 30 July 2026October 2022: 82,059 people · published 30 July 2026November 2022: 82,905 people · published 30 July 2026December 2022: 81,806 people · published 30 July 2026January 2023: 82,951 people · published 30 July 2026February 2023: 83,918 people · published 30 July 2026March 2023: 84,372 people · published 30 July 2026April 2023: 84,517 people · published 30 July 2026May 2023: 85,521 people · published 30 July 2026June 2023: 85,851 people · published 30 July 2026July 2023: 86,594 people · published 30 July 2026August 2023: 87,092 people · published 30 July 2026September 2023: 87,576 people · published 30 July 2026October 2023: 87,803 people · published 30 July 2026November 2023: 87,935 people · published 30 July 2026December 2023: 87,489 people · published 30 July 2026January 2024: 87,988 people · published 30 July 2026February 2024: 88,336 people · published 30 July 2026March 2024: 87,869 people · published 30 July 2026April 2024: 87,864 people · published 30 July 2026May 2024: 87,177 people · published 30 July 2026June 2024: 87,726 people · published 30 July 2026July 2024: 87,739 people · published 30 July 2026August 2024: 88,439 people · published 30 July 2026September 2024: 86,966 people · published 30 July 2026October 2024: 85,801 people · published 30 July 2026November 2024: 85,789 people · published 30 July 2026December 2024: 85,372 people · published 30 July 2026January 2025: 86,358 people · published 30 July 2026February 2025: 86,961 people · published 30 July 2026March 2025: 87,919 people · published 30 July 2026April 2025: 88,142 people · published 30 July 2026May 2025: 87,603 people · published 30 July 2026June 2025: 87,334 people · published 30 July 2026July 2025: 88,040 people · published 30 July 2026August 2025: 88,423 people · published 30 July 2026September 2025: 87,465 people · published 30 July 2026October 2025: 86,430 people · published 30 July 2026November 2025: 87,064 people · published 30 July 2026December 2025: 85,613 people · published 30 July 2026January 2026: 86,913 people · published 30 July 2026February 2026: 87,031 people · published 30 July 2026March 2026: 87,342 people · published 30 July 2026April 2026: 85,711 people · published 30 July 2026May 2026: 85,921 people · published 30 July 2026June 2026: 85,858 people · published 30 July 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover, tap or use arrow keys to read a value; tap again to unpin
The chart as a table
PeriodPrison population at month end, 2015 onwards
June 201586,193 people
July 201586,179 people
August 201585,679 people
September 201585,886 people
October 201585,534 people
November 201585,920 people
December 201584,968 people
January 201685,495 people
February 201685,766 people
March 201685,441 people
April 201685,052 people
May 201685,558 people
June 201685,134 people
July 201684,984 people
August 201684,997 people
September 201685,639 people
October 201685,926 people
November 201685,873 people
December 201684,307 people
January 201785,226 people
February 201785,433 people
March 201785,513 people
April 201784,897 people
May 201785,376 people
June 201785,863 people
July 201786,191 people
August 201786,320 people
September 201785,997 people
October 201786,265 people
November 201786,124 people
December 201784,373 people
January 201884,511 people
February 201884,282 people
March 201883,263 people
April 201883,733 people
May 201883,300 people
June 201882,773 people
July 201882,988 people
August 201883,052 people
September 201883,005 people
October 201883,268 people
November 201883,146 people
December 201882,236 people
January 201982,515 people
February 201982,537 people
March 201982,634 people
April 201982,593 people
May 201982,617 people
June 201982,710 people
July 201983,059 people
August 201982,956 people
September 201983,810 people
October 201983,664 people
November 201983,256 people
December 201982,868 people
January 202083,329 people
February 202083,708 people
March 202082,990 people
April 202080,873 people
May 202079,964 people
June 202079,514 people
July 202079,643 people
August 202079,228 people
September 202079,235 people
October 202078,874 people
November 202078,854 people
December 202078,180 people
January 202178,104 people
February 202177,987 people
March 202178,058 people
April 202177,859 people
May 202177,972 people
June 202178,324 people
July 202178,318 people
August 202178,888 people
September 202178,756 people
October 202179,340 people
November 202179,737 people
December 202179,092 people
January 202279,484 people
February 202279,698 people
March 202279,773 people
April 202279,404 people
May 202280,157 people
June 202280,659 people
July 202280,990 people
August 202281,334 people
September 202281,309 people
October 202282,059 people
November 202282,905 people
December 202281,806 people
January 202382,951 people
February 202383,918 people
March 202384,372 people
April 202384,517 people
May 202385,521 people
June 202385,851 people
July 202386,594 people
August 202387,092 people
September 202387,576 people
October 202387,803 people
November 202387,935 people
December 202387,489 people
January 202487,988 people
February 202488,336 people
March 202487,869 people
April 202487,864 people
May 202487,177 people
June 202487,726 people
July 202487,739 people
August 202488,439 people
September 202486,966 people
October 202485,801 people
November 202485,789 people
December 202485,372 people
January 202586,358 people
February 202586,961 people
March 202587,919 people
April 202588,142 people
May 202587,603 people
June 202587,334 people
July 202588,040 people
August 202588,423 people
September 202587,465 people
October 202586,430 people
November 202587,064 people
December 202585,613 people
January 202686,913 people
February 202687,031 people
March 202687,342 people
April 202685,711 people
May 202685,921 people
June 202685,858 people

What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.