France's prison population hit a record 90,937 inmates on October 1, as overcrowding continues to put pressure on the country's prison system, according to Justice Ministry figures published on November 2.

Axar.az reports, citing Le Monde, that the number of inmates rose by 7.2% compared with the same period last year, when 84,862 people were behind bars.

Meanwhile, the number of available prison places increased by just 1.5% to 63,452. Due to a shortage of beds, 8,959 mattresses were placed on prison floors, marking a 52% increase year-on-year.

Occupancy in remand prisons, which hold people awaiting trial and those serving short sentences, reached 178%. The overall prison occupancy rate stood at 143.3%.

Earlier this year, the Council of Europe raised concerns over overcrowding, poor living conditions and violence in French prisons, warning that they risked becoming "human warehouses".

In her final report, former prison watchdog Dominique Simonnot described the situation as a "prison crisis", pointing to chronic overcrowding, deteriorating facilities, poor sanitary conditions and a persistent shortage of prison staff.

The Justice Ministry plans to create 3,000 additional places in modular prisons, which are considered less expensive to build. Half of the planned facilities are already under construction, with the first expected to open in Troyes by the end of autumn.

However, of the 15,000 additional prison places promised under a national plan launched in 2018, only slightly more than 8,000 have been delivered.

According to 2025 Council of Europe figures, France and Turkiye had the highest prison occupancy levels in Europe, with 131 inmates per 100 available places.