Montenegro has one of the highest incarceration rates in Europe, with 200 prisoners per 100,000 residents, according to the latest Council of Europe annual penal statistics report.
Montenegro is among the European countries with the highest number of prisoners per capita and has also recorded one of the sharpest annual increases in its prison population, according to the Council of Europe’s latest SPACE I report on prison statistics.
The report shows that, as of January 31, 2025, there were more than 1.1 million people held in prisons across 51 prison administrations in Council of Europe member states. The average prison population rate in Europe stood at 110 prisoners per 100,000 residents, while Montenegro’s rate was significantly higher, at 200 prisoners per 100,000 residents.
According to the report, Montenegro ranked among the countries with the highest incarceration rates in Europe, behind Turkey, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Georgia and Hungary, and ahead of Albania, Poland, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Lithuania and Slovakia.
The Council of Europe also noted that Montenegro saw a 22 percent increase in its prison population rate between January 2024 and January 2025, the second-highest rise in Europe after Turkey, which recorded a 29 percent increase.
Despite the high incarceration rate, Montenegro is not listed among the European countries facing prison overcrowding. The European average was 89 prisoners per 100 available places, while Montenegro reported 85 prisoners per 100 available places.
A notable concern highlighted in the report is the share of pre-trial detainees. In Montenegro, 53 percent of prisoners were in detention and had not yet received a final conviction. Across Europe, the average share of pre-trial detainees was 26 percent.
The report also found that the average age of prisoners in Montenegro was 41, placing the country among those with older prison populations in Europe, alongside Estonia and Serbia. Meanwhile, women made up only 2.8 percent of Montenegro’s prison population, one of the lowest shares in Europe.
At the European level, the Council of Europe warned that many countries continue to struggle with prison overcrowding, while the number of older prisoners has also increased. Drug-related offenses remained the most common reason for prison sentences in Europe, followed by theft and violent crimes.
