Incarceration rate hit its lowest level in two decades in 2024

In 2024, the number of people in detention in the Netherlands dropped to 27,000, its lowest level in 30 years. That’s according to new figures released Thursday by Statistics Netherlands.

The statistics agency has been keeping track of the number of incarcerations since 2005. In that year, there were almost double the number of people in detention compared to the previous year. Statistics Netherlands also reported that, compared to the previous year, more people in 2024 were serving sentences of one year or longer, while fewer were serving short-term sentences.

A total of 9,800 people were incarcerated at the end of September 2024, and almost half of this group was in pre-trial detention awaiting their trial. The number of people in pre-trial detention increased by 4 percent.

The number of detainees with a sentence shorter than a year dropped by 13 percent. According to Statistics Netherlands, this decrease was caused by the Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI) carrying out these sentences less often, partly due to overcrowded prisons and staff shortages.

The number of people incarcerated with a sentence of one to three years rose by 8 percent to 1,500. The number of detainees with a sentence of three years or higher rose by 5 percent to 1,800.

The number of people imprisoned for property crimes decreased. According to Statistics Netherlands, the number of people held for violence, sexual offenses, drugs, and weapons has increased in recent years.

Women accounted for only 6 percent of all detainees, a decrease of 2 percentage points compared to ten years ago, according to Statistics Netherlands. The age distribution among detainees has remained the same over the past ten years: 10 percent were between 18 and 23 years old, 66 percent between 23 and 45, and 24 percent were 45 or older.