Civometry

Prison population at month end, 2002 to 2015: record highs and lows

The extremes of prison population at month end, 2002 to 2015 as published by Ministry of Justice, across the 68 periods held here (June 2002 to May 2015). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

Highest published

88,167November 2011

Lowest published

71,218June 2002

The full series

Prison population at month end, 2002 to 2015: June 2002 to May 2015LabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservative025k50k75k200520102015Before: Prison population as recorded by the previous prison IT system. After: Prison population as recorded by the prison IT system introduced in 2010.methodology changeJune 2002: 71,218 people · published 26 July 2019June 2003: 73,657 people · published 26 July 2019June 2004: 74,488 people · published 26 July 2019June 2005: 76,190 people · published 26 July 2019June 2006: 77,982 people · published 26 July 2019June 2007: 79,734 people · published 26 July 2019June 2008: 83,194 people · published 26 July 2019June 2009: 83,454 people · published 26 July 2019June 2010: 85,002 people · published 26 July 2019July 2010: 84,750 people · published 26 July 2019August 2010: 85,173 people · published 26 July 2019September 2010: 85,429 people · published 26 July 2019October 2010: 85,224 people · published 26 July 2019November 2010: 85,473 people · published 26 July 2019December 2010: 83,055 people · published 26 July 2019January 2011: 84,255 people · published 26 July 2019February 2011: 85,177 people · published 26 July 2019March 2011: 85,400 people · published 26 July 2019April 2011: 84,348 people · published 26 July 2019May 2011: 85,289 people · published 26 July 2019June 2011: 85,374 people · published 26 July 2019July 2011: 85,411 people · published 26 July 2019August 2011: 86,770 people · published 26 July 2019September 2011: 87,501 people · published 26 July 2019October 2011: 87,543 people · published 26 July 2019November 2011: 88,167 people · published 26 July 2019December 2011: 86,172 people · published 26 July 2019January 2012: 87,799 people · published 26 July 2019February 2012: 87,733 people · published 26 July 2019March 2012: 87,531 people · published 26 July 2019April 2012: 87,409 people · published 26 July 2019May 2012: 87,068 people · published 26 July 2019June 2012: 86,048 people · published 26 July 2019July 2012: 86,752 people · published 26 July 2019August 2012: 86,708 people · published 26 July 2019September 2012: 86,457 people · published 26 July 2019October 2012: 86,301 people · published 26 July 2019November 2012: 86,047 people · published 26 July 2019December 2012: 83,757 people · published 26 July 2019January 2013: 83,918 people · published 26 July 2019February 2013: 84,451 people · published 26 July 2019March 2013: 83,769 people · published 26 July 2019April 2013: 84,176 people · published 26 July 2019May 2013: 83,897 people · published 26 July 2019June 2013: 83,842 people · published 26 July 2019July 2013: 84,085 people · published 26 July 2019August 2013: 83,770 people · published 26 July 2019September 2013: 84,488 people · published 26 July 2019October 2013: 85,277 people · published 26 July 2019November 2013: 85,153 people · published 26 July 2019December 2013: 84,163 people · published 26 July 2019January 2014: 84,977 people · published 26 July 2019February 2014: 85,469 people · published 26 July 2019March 2014: 85,265 people · published 26 July 2019April 2014: 84,646 people · published 26 July 2019May 2014: 84,845 people · published 26 July 2019June 2014: 85,509 people · published 26 July 2019July 2014: 85,653 people · published 26 July 2019August 2014: 85,302 people · published 26 July 2019September 2014: 85,698 people · published 26 July 2019October 2014: 85,786 people · published 26 July 2019November 2014: 85,837 people · published 26 July 2019December 2014: 84,691 people · published 26 July 2019January 2015: 84,838 people · published 26 July 2019February 2015: 85,311 people · published 26 July 2019March 2015: 85,664 people · published 26 July 2019April 2015: 85,641 people · published 26 July 2019May 2015: 85,694 people · published 26 July 2019
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestDashed line: change in coverage or methodShaded 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, 2002 to 2015
June 200271,218 people
June 200373,657 people
June 200474,488 people
June 200576,190 people
June 200677,982 people
June 200779,734 people
June 200883,194 people
June 200983,454 people
June 201085,002 people
July 201084,750 people
August 201085,173 people
September 201085,429 people
October 201085,224 people
November 201085,473 people
December 201083,055 people
January 201184,255 people
February 201185,177 people
March 201185,400 people
April 201184,348 people
May 201185,289 people
June 201185,374 people
July 201185,411 people
August 201186,770 people
September 201187,501 people
October 201187,543 people
November 201188,167 people
December 201186,172 people
January 201287,799 people
February 201287,733 people
March 201287,531 people
April 201287,409 people
May 201287,068 people
June 201286,048 people
July 201286,752 people
August 201286,708 people
September 201286,457 people
October 201286,301 people
November 201286,047 people
December 201283,757 people
January 201383,918 people
February 201384,451 people
March 201383,769 people
April 201384,176 people
May 201383,897 people
June 201383,842 people
July 201384,085 people
August 201383,770 people
September 201384,488 people
October 201385,277 people
November 201385,153 people
December 201384,163 people
January 201484,977 people
February 201485,469 people
March 201485,265 people
April 201484,646 people
May 201484,845 people
June 201485,509 people
July 201485,653 people
August 201485,302 people
September 201485,698 people
October 201485,786 people
November 201485,837 people
December 201484,691 people
January 201584,838 people
February 201585,311 people
March 201585,664 people
April 201585,641 people
May 201585,694 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.