Data / Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) / United States

Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in United States

Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in the United States was 360 per 100,000 people in 2023, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics. That is up 5 pts from 2022.

2023, per 100,000 people360
Change on 2022+5 pts
Series high5062008
Series low1311978

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Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in United States, 1978 to 2023

10020030040050060019781985199219992006201320231978: 131 per 100,000 people1979: 133 per 100,000 people1980: 138 per 100,000 people1981: 153 per 100,000 people1982: 170 per 100,000 people1983: 179 per 100,000 people1984: 187 per 100,000 people1985: 201 per 100,000 people1986: 216 per 100,000 people1987: 230 per 100,000 people1988: 246 per 100,000 people1989: 274 per 100,000 people1990: 295 per 100,000 people1991: 311 per 100,000 people1992: 330 per 100,000 people1993: 360 per 100,000 people1994: 389 per 100,000 people1995: 411 per 100,000 people1996: 427 per 100,000 people1997: 444 per 100,000 people1998: 463 per 100,000 people1999: 476 per 100,000 people2000: 470 per 100,000 people2001: 470 per 100,000 people2002: 477 per 100,000 people2003: 483 per 100,000 people2004: 487 per 100,000 people2005: 492 per 100,000 people2006: 501 per 100,000 people2007: 506 per 100,000 people2008: 506 per 100,000 people2009: 504 per 100,000 people2010: 500 per 100,000 people2011: 492 per 100,000 people2012: 480 per 100,000 people2013: 477 per 100,000 people2014: 471 per 100,000 people2015: 459 per 100,000 people2016: 450 per 100,000 people2017: 441 per 100,000 people2018: 432 per 100,000 people2019: 419 per 100,000 people2020: 357 per 100,000 people2021: 350 per 100,000 people2022: 355 per 100,000 people2023: 360 per 100,000 people10020030040050060019781994201020231978: 131 per 100,000 people1979: 133 per 100,000 people1980: 138 per 100,000 people1981: 153 per 100,000 people1982: 170 per 100,000 people1983: 179 per 100,000 people1984: 187 per 100,000 people1985: 201 per 100,000 people1986: 216 per 100,000 people1987: 230 per 100,000 people1988: 246 per 100,000 people1989: 274 per 100,000 people1990: 295 per 100,000 people1991: 311 per 100,000 people1992: 330 per 100,000 people1993: 360 per 100,000 people1994: 389 per 100,000 people1995: 411 per 100,000 people1996: 427 per 100,000 people1997: 444 per 100,000 people1998: 463 per 100,000 people1999: 476 per 100,000 people2000: 470 per 100,000 people2001: 470 per 100,000 people2002: 477 per 100,000 people2003: 483 per 100,000 people2004: 487 per 100,000 people2005: 492 per 100,000 people2006: 501 per 100,000 people2007: 506 per 100,000 people2008: 506 per 100,000 people2009: 504 per 100,000 people2010: 500 per 100,000 people2011: 492 per 100,000 people2012: 480 per 100,000 people2013: 477 per 100,000 people2014: 471 per 100,000 people2015: 459 per 100,000 people2016: 450 per 100,000 people2017: 441 per 100,000 people2018: 432 per 100,000 people2019: 419 per 100,000 people2020: 357 per 100,000 people2021: 350 per 100,000 people2022: 355 per 100,000 people2023: 360 per 100,000 people
per 100,000 people. Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Retrieved 2026-10-12, published 2026-02-20.
All 46 values
Periodper 100,000 people
2023360
2022355
2021350
2020357
2019419
2018432
2017441
2016450
2015459
2014471
2013477
2012480
2011492
2010500
2009504
2008506
2007506
2006501
2005492
2004487
2003483
2002477
2001470
2000470
1999476
1998463
1997444
1996427
1995411
1994389
1993360
1992330
1991311
1990295
1989274
1988246
1987230
1986216
1985201
1984187
1983179
1982170
1981153
1980138
1979133
1978131

Rankings

Definition

Sentenced prisoners (sentence of more than 1 year) under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional authorities on December 31, per 100,000 residents of all ages. Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics, with Census Bureau resident population estimates for January 1 of the following year.

Counts only prisoners sentenced to more than 1 year, so it differs from the prison population rate used for other countries (prison_population_rate), which counts everyone held in prison, pre-trial detainees included. Prisoners are counted by the jurisdiction with legal authority over them, wherever they are held, on December 31. The national figure adds the federal system to the states. Local jails are not included, except in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Vermont, which run one combined prison and jail system. Felons sentenced in the District of Columbia have been the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons since 2001, so the District has values only up to 2000.

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How to cite

Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2026). National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables) (Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), United States, 1978 to 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables

MLA 9

National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables), Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), United States, 1978 to 2023. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 20 Feb. 2026, https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/united-states. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2026. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), United States, 1978 to 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/united-states.

Harvard

Bureau of Justice Statistics (2026) National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables), Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), United States, 1978 to 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/united-states (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_imprisonment_rate_sentenced_prisoners_2023,
  author = {{Bureau of Justice Statistics}},
  title = {{National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables): Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), United States, 1978 to 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/united-states. Publisher attribution: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Bureau of Justice Statistics
TI  - National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables): Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners), United States, 1978 to 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/20
PB  - Bureau of Justice Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables
L2  - https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/united-states
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/imprisonment-rate/united-states.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Prisoner Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/prisoners-2023-statistical-tables. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

What is the imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in United States?

Imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in the United States was 360 per 100,000 people in 2023, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics. That is up 5 pts from 2022.

Where does this figure come from?

Bureau of Justice Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics: imprisonment rate of sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents, total (CSAT quick table and Prisoners in YYYY statistical tables). Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.

What was the highest imprisonment rate (sentenced prisoners) in United States?

506 per 100,000 people in 2008, the highest value since 1978 in this series.

Related statistics for United States

All statistics for United States | United States in figures