The bar chart presents a comparative analysis of the number of prisoners across five countries, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada in over the decades from 1930 to 1980.
Overall, the data illustrates that the United States had accounted for the biggest share of prisoner population compared to the other countries, while Great Britain saw the lowest one throughout the period.
Looking first at the percentages in 1930, the United States had 100,000 prisoner population, after which it improved further to almost 140,000 by 1980, making it the country with the largest prison population. Great Britain started at around 30,000 prisoners and experienced a marked rise, reaching more than 80,000 by the end of the period. The figure for both Australia and Canada in prison population grew moderately, with the latter seeing a more noticeable change during the same decades.
Initially, New Zealand consistently recorded one of the lowest number of prisoners throughout the period, Despite the fluctuations over the decades, its prison population remained negligibly lower than other countries. By 1980, New Zealand’s figure had stabilized at around 40,000 and 50,000, while the United States, and Canada reported considerably higher numbers.