Geostat: Number of prisoners in Georgia reached record high in 2025

Prison statistics in Georgia

The number of prisoners in Georgia reached a historic high in 2025. According to official data, a total of 22,767 convicted inmates were held in the penitentiary system over the course of the year. This represents a 25.5% increase compared with 2024 and is the highest figure recorded since the Geostat national statistics office began collecting data.

According to 2024 data, Georgia ranks second among the 46 member states of the Council of Europe in the number of prisoners per 100,000 population. Turkey tops the list with 408 prisoners per 100,000 people, while Georgia ranks second with 236.6 inmates per 100,000 population.

Georgia in reverse: how showcase of post-Soviet democratisation turned into country with 'functionally pro-Russian' regime

How did this happen — and, above all, can it still be stopped?

In the early 2000s, Georgia had between 8,000 and 9,000 prisoners. During the rule of former president Mikheil Saakashvili, however, the policy of “zero tolerance” rapidly filled prisons, with the number of inmates surpassing 20,000 in 2007-2008. After 2012, amid scandals and a change of government, the figure dropped sharply and remained at around 15,000-16,000 for several years.

The 2025 data suggest the country is returning to levels once regarded as a symbol of authoritarian governance.

Particularly striking in the statistics is the number of drug-related offences — 5,322 cases. That is almost equal to the combined number of all theft-related crimes and significantly exceeds the number of violent offences. By comparison, the total number of intentional and aggravated murders stands at 109, rapes at 45 and robberies at 83.

• Amnesty International’s 2025 report: Repression and shrinking civic space in Georgia
• Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association publishes 2025 human rights report

Another striking feature of the statistics is the category of “other crimes”, which includes 12,732 cases — more than half of the total number recorded. Such a broad and vague classification makes it difficult to assess which types of offences are actually driving the rise in the prison population.

For many years, Georgia has remained among the European countries with one of the highest imprisonment rates per 100,000 people.

Critics argue that the state’s response to social problems remains heavily punitive: issues such as poverty, drug addiction, juvenile crime and road safety are often “addressed” through courts and prisons, while prevention, rehabilitation and broader social policy mechanisms remain weak.