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Current Global Women Prison Inmates

Over 733,000 women and girls are confined in prison systems worldwide, based on latest analyses. This figure encompasses both pre-trial detainees and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the actual total is much greater due to incomplete data from several states.

Women consistently represent a small minority of national prison populations – usually between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nonetheless, their population is growing at a faster rate than incarcerated men.

Since the year 2000, the female prison population in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – almost three times the rise observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The worldwide women inmate count grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Rise

Women's lawbreaking are commonly connected to financial deprivation and usually serve as a way to support themselves to provide for their families.

Comprehensive research has established that regulations typically outlaw acts of survival and that women are unfairly targeted because they are more commonly found among the poorest sectors of society. In various countries, laws penalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution almost exclusively affect women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is frequently connected with poverty and the inability to pay fines for petty offenses or to obtain release.

Countries with the Largest Female Prison Populations

The US has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China follows with 145,000, plus an uncertain quantity of women and girls in remand imprisonment and "administrative detention". Further substantial contributors include Brazil (50,441), Russia (39,153), Thailand (33,057), India (23,772), the Philippines (17,121), Turkey (16,581), Vietnam (15,152), Mexico (13,841) and Indonesia (13,044).

In Britain, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the overall inmate count. Projections indicate these numbers are anticipated to grow to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are presently incarcerated, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, amounting to approximately 8% of its overall inmate demographic.

States with Major Growth in Incarcerated Women Statistics

Despite considering typical population expansion over the previous two-and-a-half decades, the rise in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a remarkable increase. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced more than sixfold increases, while these countries have seen more than fivefold rises.

Women on Death Row

Current calculations indicate there are between 500 and 1,000 women on death row in at least 42 countries worldwide.

The countries that execute the most women are likewise the states that carry out the most capital punishments in general, namely China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on current records, an unknown number of women were put to death in China, while two received death sentences in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

No accurate data is available for states with most frequent capital punishment or for others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women on death row.

The main offenses for which women are given capital punishment are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with compulsory capital punishment for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are more likely to have increased quantities of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

Furthermore, countries that severely criminalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and southeast Asia, have a significant percentage of women on death row.

Suitability of Incarceration for Females

Many experts and advocates argue that prison is unsuitable sanction for a significant portion of women who commit crimes. The majority are imprisoned for peaceful violations; in England and Wales, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women frequently experience a "repetitive cycle of short prison sentences – inadequate duration to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

As many as 80% of women in prison worldwide have an diagnosable psychological condition. In Europe, suicide rates for women in prison are nine times higher than for the general population, as reported by the World Health Organization.

In reaction to rising numbers of imprisoned females and a absence of guidelines reflecting their needs, the International Women Prisoner Standards (known as the Bangkok Rules) were accepted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules require nations to develop non-custodial sanctions and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Kids with Imprisoned Mothers

An calculated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, typically their mother, while a much larger quantity are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a incarcerated mother.

In addition to the obvious separation and related distress that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Many countries make provision for babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a certain age. However, a childhood spent in prison can harm a young person both in health and mental state.