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Current Worldwide Women Prison Population

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are confined in correctional facilities worldwide, based on current analyses. This statistic covers both remand prisoners and those who have been found guilty and punished. Analysts suggest the real number is substantially larger due to incomplete data from several countries.

Female inmates generally account for a small minority of correctional system demographics – commonly between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nevertheless, their numbers are increasing at a faster rate than male prisoners.

Over the past two decades, the female prison population in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – nearly thrice the growth observed in the male prison population. The global female prison population increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the ten-year interval ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Rise

Offenses committed by women are commonly associated with economic hardship and often constitute a way to support themselves to provide for their families.

Detailed analysis has found that laws often criminalize essential livelihood measures and that women are disproportionately affected because they are disproportionately represented among the most impoverished segments of society. In various countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution almost exclusively affect women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is frequently connected with poverty and the failure to afford fines for small infractions or to arrange temporary freedom.

States with the Greatest Incarcerated Women Statistics

The United States has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China ranks second with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in remand imprisonment and "administrative detention". Additional major sources 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 total prison population. Forecasts show these numbers are expected to rise to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently imprisoned, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, constituting approximately 8% of its overall inmate demographic.

Countries with Significant Increases in Female Prison Populations

Although including standard demographic increases over the past 25 years, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people remains indicative of a remarkable increase. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced over six times growth, while Indonesia and Turkey have seen growth exceeding 500%.

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 recent documentation, an unknown number of women were executed in China, while two faced execution in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Incomplete statistics is available for states with most frequent capital punishment or for additional countries including North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nonetheless, analysis is obtainable concerning 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women on death row.

The two primary crimes for which women are sentenced to death are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with mandatory death penalties for murder, or that fail to acknowledge gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are more likely to have greater amounts of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

Furthermore, countries that strictly prohibit drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and southeast Asia, have a substantial ratio of women on death row.

Suitability of Imprisonment for Women

Numerous specialists and activists argue that prison is unsuitable sanction for a significant portion of women who break the law. The majority are imprisoned for non-violent crimes; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women often encounter a "cyclical pattern of limited imprisonment terms – too brief to take part in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an recognizable psychiatric disorder. In Europe, self-destruction numbers for women in prison are nine times higher than for the general population, based on the WHO.

In reaction to rising numbers of imprisoned females and a lack of standards addressing their requirements, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (known as the Bangkok Rules) were approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules mandate countries to develop non-custodial sanctions and to provide women-specific consideration in prisons.

Kids with Imprisoned Mothers

An approximated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, typically their mother, while many times that number are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

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

Various states allow for babies and young children to remain in correctional facilities with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nevertheless, a youth experienced in incarceration can negatively affect a minor both in health and mental state.