Cyprus

Cyprus ranks high in EU for prison overcrowding levels

By: SigmaLive English

Date:

Cyprus prisons are facing one of the most serious overcrowding problems in Europe, according to the Council of Europe’s Annual Penal Statistics SPACE I 2025 report, published on Tuesday.

The report shows that Cyprus had 117 inmates per 100 available prison places as of 31 January 2025, placing the country among nine European prison systems experiencing severe overcrowding.

Only Turkey, France, Croatia, Italy and Malta recorded higher occupancy rates.

Prison population remains below EU average

Despite overcrowding, Cyprus recorded 110 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, a figure below the European average.

The country ranks lower than systems with higher incarceration rates, such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Poland, but higher than countries like Norway, Finland and Germany, which report some of the lowest imprisonment rates in Europe.

The Council of Europe warned that prison overcrowding remains a growing challenge across the continent.

Overall, prison occupancy in Europe increased from 94.7 inmates per 100 places in 2024 to 95.2 in 2025, with 14 prison systems now operating above official capacity.

High proportion of foreign inmates

The report also highlights a high proportion of foreign inmates in the prisons.

More than half of prisoners in Cyprus, 54%, are non-Cypriot nationals, one of the highest rates in Europe. Only Luxembourg and Switzerland recorded higher percentages.

Cyprus also stands out for having one of the youngest prison populations in Europe, with an average age of 35, equal to France and Denmark.

The European average is 39 years, while Sweden and Moldova recorded younger averages.

Remand and structural pressures

In Cyprus, 27% of inmates are held on remand, slightly above the European average of 26%.

Across Europe, the total prison population exceeded 1.1 million inmates across 51 prison systems included in the study.

The Council of Europe said the findings highlight ongoing structural pressures in correctional systems, including overcrowding, ageing inmate populations and a rising proportion of female prisoners.

The SPACE I survey is conducted by the University of Lausanne on behalf of the Council of Europe and is considered one of the most important assessments of detention conditions and imprisonment trends in Europe.

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