Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Switzerland
Switzerland: Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees was 48.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Switzerland, 2000–2025
Source: Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 48.8% for share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in 2025. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
That represents a change of up 23.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Switzerland peaked at 48.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 39.2%, in 2005.
That places Switzerland 28th out of 150 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 41.5% | — |
| 2005 | 39.2% | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 41.0% | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 39.6% | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 41.8% | +5.6% |
| 2025 | 48.8% | +16.7% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 48.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 26.6%, 1.8× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 48.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 24.9%, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 40.4% | 39.2% | 41.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 40.3% | 39.6% | 41.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 45.3% | 41.8% | 48.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More social development data for Switzerland
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 208,287 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 6 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0229 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 Switzerland?
- Share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees in Switzerland was 48.8% 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 48.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.2% in 2005.
- How does Switzerland rank for share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees?
- Switzerland ranks 28th out of 150 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of prisoners that are pre-trial detainees rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners as a percentage of the total prison population.