AT LEAST two Australians a day are arrested for crimes somewhere in the world, double the number who were getting into trouble overseas a decade ago.

Figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also reveal that the number of Australians in foreign prisons reached record levels in 2010-2011, with 313 in jail.

In the same period, 1069 Australians were arrested for offences ranging from attempted murder and assault to kidnapping, theft and tax evasion. In comparison, 568 Australians were arrested in 2001, while 208 were imprisoned.

Despite regular warnings from the federal government that travellers need to abide by the laws of the countries they visit, the nations where most Australians got into trouble last year were the United States, China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The category of crime attracting the highest number of arrests was assault, according to the department's figures, with 89 Australians detained by police in overseas countries. Another 75 were charged with drug offences and 79 were arrested for visa violations.