Andorra's €193 Daily Inmate Cost Tops European Average at La Comella Prison

**Andorra spends €193 daily per inmate at La Comella prison, above European average**

Andorra's daily cost per inmate at the Centre Penitenciari de la Comella stands at €193, exceeding the European average of €149.7, according to the Council of Europe's annual SPACE I 2025 report released this week. The figure, based on 2024 data, marks a slight drop of €3 from the previous year.

The government allocated €5.226 million from its 2024 budget to the facility's operations. This covered 27,098 total inmate-days throughout the year, resulting in the €193 per diem rate and a daily total expenditure of €13,896. Of the budget, €3.1 million went to inmates with final convictions, while €2.1 million supported those in pre-trial detention.

At 31 January 2025, the prison held 72 inmates—32 in preventive detention and 40 with firm sentences—equivalent to an incarceration rate of 86.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. Preventive detainees made up 44.4% of the total, well above the continental average of 30.3%. Drug-related offences topped the convictions with 10 cases, followed by four each for homicide, assault and injuries, and rape.

The facility operated at 46.8% capacity, ranking second-lowest in Europe behind Monaco (38%), compared to the European mean of 88.7%. Neighbouring France reached 131% occupancy, while Spain stood at 77.2%. Andorra also has the continent's lowest staff-to-inmate ratio at 1.2, tied with Iceland.

While Andorra's spending tops France (€129) and Spain (€128), it trails leaders like San Marino (€701), Luxembourg (€590), Norway (€504) and Sweden (€328). The report notes higher-than-average proportions of female and foreign inmates in Andorra, with seven in 10 being foreigners, reversing broader European trends.