Guantánamo by the Numbers

Last updated in April 2023

780 men and boys, all of them Muslim, have been imprisoned over time at Guantánamo since January 2002.

86 percent were sold to the United States during a time when the U.S. military was offering large bounties for capture; commonly, $5,000 was offered per man.

22 or more were children when taken to the detention camp.

Guantánamo today:

30 men remain detained. All have been detained for more than fifteen years.

19 men are not charged with any crime or offense, including 16 men who have been cleared for release.

11 have active cases in the military commissions system. Only 1 person still imprisoned has been convicted.

The same number of men (9) have died at Guantánamo as have been convicted (9) by the military commissions in the last two decades.

0 senior government officials have been held accountable for the wrongful detention and torture at Guantánamo.

It costs an estimated $540 million per year to keep Guantánamo open making it the most expensive prison in the world.

Last modified 

April 20, 2023