Nigeria vs Sri Lanka: Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees
Nigeria
65.0%
in 2025
Sri Lanka
72.4%
in 2026
Nigeria rank
10th
Sri Lanka rank
7th
Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees over time
- Nigeria
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 72.4% against 65.0% in Nigeria, a difference of 7.4%.
That makes Sri Lanka's figure about 1.1 times Nigeria's.
Across all 5 years both countries report, Nigeria has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 10th and Sri Lanka ranks 7th of 150 countries.
Nigeria has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 68.5% | 50.5% | 18.0% | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 71.1% | 49.5% | 21.5% | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 73.8% | 66.4% | 7.4% | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees, Nigeria or Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka, at 72.4% against 65.0% in Nigeria as of 2026.
- What is the difference in share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees between Nigeria and Sri Lanka?
- 7.4%, with Sri Lanka ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Sri Lanka?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do Nigeria and Sri Lanka rank globally for share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees?
- Nigeria ranks 10th and Sri Lanka ranks 7th of 150 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners as a percentage of the total prison population.