Day: May 20, 2026

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Georgia had the fourth-highest prison population rate in Europe, with 232 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the Council of Europe’s newly published annual penal statistics, which cover data up to January 31, 2025.

Only Turkey (458 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants), Azerbaijan (271), and Moldova (245) recorded higher rates than Georgia in the report, which noted that the highest prison population rates remain concentrated in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region, “where systems tend to favour custodial sanctions.”

At the same time, Georgia was among six European countries – alongside Ukraine, Slovakia, Albania, Estonia, and Poland – that reported “significant decreases” (above 5%) in their incarceration rates between 2024 and 2025. According to the report, Georgia recorded an 11% year-on-year decline, the largest decrease among the listed countries.

The Council of Europe also noted that prison data from several countries, including Georgia, exclude territories not under government control, adding that “population figures used to calculate rates per 100,000 inhabitants may not fully account for these territorial exclusions, potentially affecting the accuracy of calculated rates.”

Separate figures recently released by Georgia’s National Statistics Office (Geostat) show that 22,767 people were convicted in Georgia in 2025, including 21,595 men and 1,172 women. The figure marks the highest level since 2001, when comparable data is publicly available, and is nearly 6,000 higher than in 2024, when the figure stood at 16,961. In 2023, the figure was 18,547.

According to Geostat, of all convicted persons, which include those receiving both custodial and non-custodial sentences, 50.1% received conditional sentences, 24.4% were sentenced to imprisonment, and 20.2% were fined in 2025.

Geostat data also show that Georgia had 11,153 prisoners in 2025, the highest figure since 2012, when the ruling Georgian Dream party came to power. Before that, the peak was recorded in 2011, under the United National Movement government, when the prison population stood at 24,114. In 2013, the figure dropped to 9,093.

Geostat’s data prompted a statement from the Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia, which clarified on May 15 that the figure of 22,767 covers “both persons sentenced to imprisonment who are serving their sentences in penitentiary institutions, as well as persons sentenced to non-custodial punishments – who are not serving their sentences in penitentiary institutions.”

“The Criminal Code of Georgia provides for both custodial and non-custodial forms of punishment,” the service said. “Deprivation of liberty represents a form of custodial punishment, and only persons sentenced to imprisonment serve their sentences in institutions of the Special Penitentiary Service.”

According to the agency, “as of December 31, 2025, 8,702 convicted persons were serving sentences in the penitentiary system.”

This figure, however, still differs from the 11,153 cited by the National Statistics Office. According to several interpretations, Geostat’s 11,153 figure also includes individuals in pre-trial detention awaiting final judgment, while the penitentiary service’s 8,702 refers to those who have received imprisonment sentences.

Also Read:

• 18/02/2026 – CoE Committee for Prevention of Torture Publishes Report on Georgia
• 28/01/2026 – Mikheil Kavelashvili Grants 59 Pardons
• 19/01/2026 – Mikheil Kavelashvili Pardons 159 Inmates