CountryYemen
Ministry responsible
Ministry of the Interior
Prison administration
Central Prisons Authority
Head of prison administration (and title)
(General) Mohammed Al-Zalb
Head of the Central Prisons Authority
Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)
4 268
at 31.12.2022 (Central Statistical Office)
Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)
14
based on an estimated national population of 31.47 million at end of December 2022 (from United Nations figures)
Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population)
59.0%
(2017)
Female prisoners (percentage of prison population)
1.3%
(2017)
Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population)
1.9%
(2013 - juveniles)
Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population)
3.2%
(2013)
Number of establishments / institutions
43
(2019 - 18 central prisons, 25 reserve prisons/pre-trial detention centres)
Prison population trend
(year, prison population total, prison population rate)
1998 c 14,000 c 84
2003 16,252 84
2006 10,415 49
2009 11,313 48
2011 10,390 42
2013 12,603 48
1998 c 14,000 c 84
2003 16,252 84
2006 10,415 49
2009 11,313 48
2011 10,390 42
2013 12,603 48

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Prisons in Yemen

Report
05/03/2015
Author: 
United States Institute of Peace
Countries: 

Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend

The table below gives an indication of the recent trend in the pre-trial/remand prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.

It consists of the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that pre-trial/remand prisoners constituted on that day.  

The final column shows the pre-trial/remand population rate per 100,000 of the national population. 

                                                      YEMEN

Year

Number in
pre-trial/remand
imprisonment

Percentage
of total
prison population

Pre-trial/remand
population rate
(per 100,000 of
national population)

2004
2006
2010
2013

6,009
4,831
5,927
7,111

50.6%
46.4%
47.8%
56.4%

30
23
25
27

2017

5,739

59.0%

20

It should be noted that the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners fluctuates from day to day, month to month and year to year. Consequently the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.

The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities. 

Female prison population: trend

The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.

It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day. 

The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population.

                                                        YEMEN

Year

Number of
female
prisoners

Percentage
of total
prison population

Female prison
population rate
(per 100,000 of
national population)

2003
2006
2010
2014

263
184
211
212

1.6%
1.9%
1.8%
2.4%

1.4
0.9
0.9
0.8

2017

125

1.3%

0.4

The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.

The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.

(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column).

Prison population total
Prison population rate