According to the RASI, of the 11,412 prisoners counted on 31 December, 93 percent were men and only 7 percent women, with Portugal showing a ratio of 110.9 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants.

The report states that compared to 2019, the total number of prisoners decreased by 1,381, noting that Law 9/2020 of 10 April, relating to the covid-19 pandemic, contributed decisively to this result.

The year 2020 - highlights the report - is the fifth consecutive year in which the number of prisoners has declined, and last 31 December, the occupancy rate was 87.6 percent.

"It represents a 10 percent decrease compared to the same date of 2019, being the third consecutive year that there was no overcrowding in the prison system. The relationship between the female and male prison population, as well as the relationship between preventive and convicted persons, remained stable, in spite of, that the relative weight of preventives increased 2.1 percent", stresses RASI.

As for the nationality of the prisoners, the relationship between foreigners (15.5 percent) and Portuguese (84.5 percent) remained stable, with the relative value of the foreign prisoners having dropped 3.2 percent in the last nine years.

Among the reasons for imprisonment, crimes against people, followed by crimes against property and related to narcotics are the main reasons why people go to prison, with crimes against people growing by 4.5 percent.