Violent offences are the most common principal offence among prisoners – Statistical Yearbook 2025 published
The Statistical Yearbook 2025 of the Prison and Probation Service compiles data on, among other things, the principal offences, the lengths of sentences, and the trends affecting the number of persons serving prison sentences or community sanctions.
At the end of 2025, there were 27 prisons and seven probation offices with 23 branch offices nationwide. Approximately 67 per cent of the prisoner places were in closed prisons and 33 per cent in open prisons or open prison wards. This distribution has remained unchanged since 2025.
Prison population continues to grow
In 2025, the average number of prisoners was 3 545, which was 189 more than the previous year. The increase in the prison population was 5.6 per cent, and it is expected to grow by more than five per cent this year.
The daily average number of foreign prisoners rose to a new record of 839 prisoners last year, representing an increase of as much as 22 per cent compared with the previous year. Foreign prisoners represented 78 different nationalities in total. There were an average of 283 female prisoners in 2025, accounting for eight per cent of the prison population.
Last year, the average number of prisoners serving unconditional prison sentences was 2 578. In addition to those serving prison sentences, there were an average of 874 remand prisoners and 93 fine default prisoners. The number of remand prisoners has increased by more than 10 per cent annually in recent years.
The average number of persons serving community sanctions was 3 839 last year. The largest groups were persons carrying out community service (1 565) and supervised conditionally released prisoners, aka parolees, (1 471). On average, 820 persons sentenced to conditional imprisonment were under supervision. The total number of persons serving community sanctions decreased slightly from the previous year.
Violent offences are the most common principal offence among prisoners
Last year, violent offences were the most common principal offence among those serving prison sentences, accounting for nearly one third (32.6%). However, the number of prisoners sentenced for homicide and other violent offences, such as assaults, has decreased significantly over the past ten years. As recently as 2016, violent offences were the principal offence for nearly 1 000 prisoners, while last year, the number was down to about 850 prisoners.
Narcotics offences rose to become the second most common principal offence among prisoners, accounting for around one quarter (24.4%). Last year, the number of prisoners sentenced for narcotics offences exceeded 600 and surpassed those sentenced for offences against property. Offences against property were the principal offence of 23.8 per cent of prisoners. Within offences against property, the share of robberies has increased, while the share of other property offences, such as theft and fraud, have decreased over the past ten years.
Sexual offences were the fourth most common principal offence, accounting for 11.3 per cent, while the proportion of prisoners sentenced for driving while intoxicated declined to only 3.3 per cent. Last year, sexual offences were the principal offence for just under 300 prisoners and driving while intoxicated for nearly 100 prisoners.
Narcotics offences are particularly common among foreign prisoners
Narcotics offences were particularly common among foreign prisoners serving prison sentences. The principal offence of nearly half of foreign prisoners (49.1%) was a narcotics offence. The second most common principal offence among foreign prisoners was a sexual offence, accounting for just over one fifth (20.6%). The shares of both violent offences and offences against property were below 15 per cent.
Among persons serving community sanctions, the most common principal offences were offences against life and health and offences against property. However, driving while intoxicated was the most common offence among persons serving community service or a monitoring sentence.
Source: Statistical Yearbook 2025 of the Prison and Probation Service of Finland
Further information:
Senior Specialist Tuomo Halmeenmäki, tel. +358 29 568 8486, +358 50 462 2907, tuomo.halmeenmaki(at)om.fi