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Current Worldwide Female Prison Population

Over 733,000 women and girls are confined in correctional facilities worldwide, according to current analyses. This statistic covers both awaiting trial prisoners and those who have been found guilty and punished. Analysts suggest the real number is substantially larger due to unavailable statistics from multiple countries.

Female inmates generally account for a minor proportion of correctional system demographics – commonly between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the world's incarcerated individuals. Nonetheless, their figures are rising at a quicker pace than male inmates.

From the millennium onward, the incarcerated females in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – roughly triple the increase observed in the male prison population. The worldwide women inmate count increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Increase

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

Extensive studies has established that regulations typically outlaw basic sustenance activities and that women are disproportionately affected because they are over-represented among the most impoverished segments of society. In numerous countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is frequently connected with poverty and the lack of resources for fines for minor crimes or to secure bail.

Countries with the Largest Incarcerated Women Statistics

The United States 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". Other significant 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 the UK, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the complete incarceration statistics. Projections indicate these numbers are anticipated to grow to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently detained, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, representing approximately 8% of its total prison population.

States with Major Growth in Female Prison Populations

Even accounting for standard demographic increases over the past 25 years, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people continues to demonstrate a remarkable increase. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen increases over five times.

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 nations that put to death the most women are similarly the nations that perform the highest number of executions in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. According to latest reports, an uncertain quantity of women were given capital punishment in China, while two received death sentences in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Unreliable information is available for countries that execute the most or for others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, analysis is accessible regarding 15 other countries with the most women on death row.

The two primary crimes for which women are sentenced to death are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with required execution sentences for murder, or that fail to acknowledge gender-based violence as lessening conditions, are prone to exhibit increased quantities of women on death row and additional capital punishments.

Furthermore, countries that harshly penalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and southeast Asia, have a high proportion of women on death row.

Appropriateness of Imprisonment for Women

Numerous specialists and campaigners argue that prison is inappropriate penalty for a large number of women who commit crimes. Many are jailed for non-violent crimes; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women frequently experience a "cyclical pattern of brief incarceration periods – too brief to participate in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Approximately 80% of women in prison worldwide have an diagnosable psychological condition. In Europe, self-harm statistics for women in prison are nine times higher than for the wider community, according to the global health authority.

In reaction to increasing figures 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 create alternative punishments and to provide women-specific consideration in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An approximated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, usually their mother, while many times that number are apart from their mothers. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

Besides the clear division and connected hardship that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a short time in prison.

Many countries permit babies and young children to live in incarceration centers with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. However, a childhood spent in prison can damage a child both bodily and psychologically.