Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Nepal
Nepal: Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees was 53.0% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Nepal, 1999–2025
Source: Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 53.0% for share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Nepal peaked at 59.8% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 51.4%, in 1999.
That places Nepal 25th out of 150 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 51.4% | — |
| 2002 | 59.8% | +16.3% |
| 2005 | 55.3% | -7.5% |
| 2009 | 58.9% | +6.5% |
| 2020 | 55.3% | -6.1% |
| 2022 | 53.0% | -4.2% |
| 2025 | 53.0% | +0.0% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 53.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 40.2%, 1.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51.4% | 51.4% | 51.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 58.0% | 55.3% | 59.8% | 3 |
| 2020s | 53.8% | 53.0% | 55.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 23 Barbados 54.7% compare
- 24 Armenia 53.3% compare
- 26 Sierra Leone 51.1% compare
- 27 Honduras 49.2% compare
- 28 Switzerland 48.8% compare
More social development data for Nepal
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 19,613 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,019 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0003 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 8,019 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0007 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Nepal?
- Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Nepal was 53.0% in 2025, according to Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 59.8% in 2002.
- What is the lowest share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.4% in 1999.
- How does Nepal rank for share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees?
- Nepal ranks 25th out of 150 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners as a percentage of the total prison population.