Financial Crime World

Mauritius Sees Slight Decline in Imprisonment Rate Over the Past Decade

Port Louis, Mauritius - June 2020

According to a report released by Statistics Mauritius, the imprisonment rate in the Republic of Mauritius has seen a slight decline over the past decade. The data reveals that the country’s imprisonment rate per 100,000 population decreased from 30.7% in 2010 to 20.5% in 2019.

The report also shows that the number of cases reported and offence rates have been steadily decreasing since 2008, with a slight increase in drug-related offences over the years. In 2019, there were 6,516 reported cases, resulting in an offence rate of 5.1 per 100,000 population.

Types of Offences

  • Road traffic contraventions remain one of the most common types of offences committed, accounting for a significant proportion of reported crimes.
  • The number of persons suspected, arrested and/or cautioned has also decreased over the years.

Challenges in Interpretation

Experts have warned that caution should be taken when interpreting the data, as police statistics may not accurately reflect the actual prevalence of crime. Surveys on victimization from the public together with reported cases can provide a more comprehensive picture of the actual number of victims.

The report also highlights the importance of understanding the trends in specific types of offences, such as drug-related crimes and road traffic contraventions, which may be subject to fluctuations due to sensitisation campaigns and intelligence-led operations.

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