U.S. Incarceration Rate by Year

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Last updated: Monday June 28th, 2021

After increasing rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, the incarceration rate in the U.S. has peaked and is now falling.

Sources: 1, 2

Number of people in prisons and jails per 100,000

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Year	Rate
1910	149.1
1920	129.1
1923	122.7
1925	129.5
1926	135.7
1927	145.8
1928	152.4
1929	156.5
1930	164.5
1931	171.8
1932	173.8
1933	174.2
1934	180.2
1935	189.4
1936	194.7
1937	205.2
1938	215.2
1939	234.1
1940	232.9
1941	224
1942	209.9
1943	196.9
1944	190.6
1945	188.9
1946	191
1947	194.8
1948	194.2
1949	195.6
1950	192.7
1951	192.3
1952	193.8
1953	197
1954	202.3
1955	203.5
1956	205
1957	201.8
1958	212.8
1959	213.4
1960	215.4
1961	218.8
1962	217.9
1963	216.9
1964	215.3
1965	213.8
1966	208.5
1967	207.3
1968	205.2
1969	210.6
1970	196.2
1971	197.5
1972	197.4
1973	200.7
1974	206.8
1975	215.3
1976	224.9
1977	234.4
1978	237
1979	242.6
1980	246.2
1981	265.5
1982	296
1983	310.1
1984	323
1985	345.7
1986	367.8
1987	389.9
1988	424.1
1989	472.9
1990	495.6
1991	517.6
1992	540.4
1993	572.9
1994	608.8
1995	635.5
1996	652.6
1997	683.9
1998	708.1
1999	722.4
2000	730.5
2001	730.1
2002	746.2
2003	757
2004	766
2005	779.8
2006	792.1
2007	796.7
2008	794.1
2009	781.4
2010	766.9
2011	749.7
2012	737.2
2013	728.4
2014	741.3
2015	702.7
2016	696.1
2017	687.2
2018	673.3
2019	659.7

5 Comments

Level 79

Jul 17, 2018

Hurray for the war on drugs?

Level 79

Jul 17, 2018

That went well. -US

Oh, how stupid you are... -rest of the world

Level ∞

Jul 22, 2018

Most people in prison are not there for drugs. The huge increase in prison population during the 1980s and 1990s is a complex subject. Much of the increase is due to the fact that there were so many violent crimes during the period.

The fact that so many violent criminals were/are imprisoned is partly responsible for the subsequent decrease in violent crime.

Level 73

Jul 17, 2018

Can only hope that trend of the last few years continues.

Level ∞

Jul 22, 2018

It will, no doubt. Crime rates are much lower today than in the recent past and some states have scaled back draconian sentencing laws as well.