Prisoner numbers rose by almost 500 on the average day last year to 7,835, official figures showed.

This is up 6% on the previous year’s figure of 7,376 and continues the upward trend since 2000, when the total was less than 6,000.

Scotland’s prison population per head is the 12th highest internationally – but below that of England and Wales.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said during a visit to Inverness prison that the figures from April 2008 to the end of March 2009 support the Government’s plans to cut the number of minor offenders being jailed.

He said: “Prison – if necessary for a long time – will always be the right punishment for those involved in serious crime and those who are a danger to our communities.

“That is why we are investing £120 million each year in our prison estate, including the building of three new prisons.

“But we cannot and will not build even more prisons to fill them with those for whom prison is not the right answer.”

The Government wants to cut the number of prison sentences of six months or less and introduce tougher community sentences.

MSPs passed the measure as part of the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill yesterday, but Holyrood’s Justice Committee had previously rejected the sentencing plans and it is likely to face further opposition as the Bill proceeds through the Parliamentary process.

The highest number of prisoners in Scotland in any one day for the 2008/09 data was 8,181 on September 15 2008. The record high was reached earlier this year, when numbers hit 8,214 on July 8.

The average daily numbers on home detention curfew was 371 in 2008/09, up 20% on the previous year.

Women made up 413 of the daily average, but this is double the level it was in 1999/00.

The number of prisoners who had been out on licence or supervision orders but were recalled to jail, often after a breach of conditions, has jumped from 100 to 599 since the turn of the decade.

Scotland has 150 prisoners per 100,000 people and sits 12th internationally in today’s statistics. England and Wales sit 10th on 152, with the US top on 760.

Prison numbers were largely made up of sentenced adults, although the amount of prisoners on remand waiting to be dealt with in court has risen in recent years to its current average level of 1,678 in 2008/09.