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Current Global Female Prison Population

More than 733,000 women and girls are detained in penal institutions internationally, as reported by latest analyses. This figure includes both awaiting trial prisoners and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Analysts suggest the real number is much greater due to unavailable statistics from several countries.

Female inmates generally account for a minor proportion of correctional system demographics – typically between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. However, their population is growing at a more rapid tempo than male prisoners.

Over the past two decades, the female prison population in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – roughly triple the growth observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The worldwide women inmate count increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the ten-year interval ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Rise

Women's lawbreaking are commonly linked to poverty and often constitute a means of survival to care for their dependents.

Comprehensive research has established that laws often criminalize basic sustenance activities and that women are disproportionately affected because they are more commonly found among the poorest sectors of society. In many countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the lack of resources for fines for petty offenses or to arrange temporary freedom.

States with the Largest Women Inmate Numbers

The US has the greatest quantity of female prisoners with 174,607. China comes next with 145,000, plus an uncertain quantity of women and girls in awaiting trial custody and "bureaucratic confinement. 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 the UK, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the overall inmate count. Projections indicate these numbers are expected to rise to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are presently incarcerated, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, constituting approximately 8% of its overall inmate demographic.

Countries with Substantial Rises in Incarcerated Women Statistics

Even accounting for normal population growth over the previous two-and-a-half decades, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people continues to demonstrate a significant growth. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced over six times growth, while these countries have seen increases over five times.

Women on Death Row

Present approximations 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 carry out the most capital punishments in general, namely China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. According to current records, an undetermined count of women were given capital punishment in China, while two were executed in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Unreliable information is available for states with most frequent capital punishment or for nations like North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the most women on death row.

The main offenses for which women are sentenced to death are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with compulsory capital punishment for murder, or that fail to acknowledge gender-based violence as lessening conditions, are more likely to have greater amounts of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

Moreover, countries that harshly penalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and Oriental southeast, have a substantial ratio of women on death row.

Suitability of Prison for Women

Various professionals and campaigners argue that prison is not a suitable punishment for a large number of women who commit crimes. Most are incarcerated for non-violent crimes; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women commonly face a "revolving door" of limited imprisonment terms – insufficiently long to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an recognizable psychiatric disorder. In Europe, self-harm statistics for women in prison are nine times higher than for the general population, as reported by the WHO.

In response to increasing figures of imprisoned females and a absence of guidelines considering their circumstances, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (known as the Bangkok Rules) were accepted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules mandate countries to establish non-imprisonment penalties and to ensure gender-sensitive treatment in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An calculated 19,000 children dwell in incarceration centers with a parent, typically their mother, while significantly more children are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

In addition to the clear division and associated suffering 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.

Numerous nations allow for babies and young children to remain in correctional facilities with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. However, a early life in correctional facilities can harm a young person both bodily and psychologically.