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Present Global Women Prison Population

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are confined in correctional facilities globally, based on recent research studies. This figure encompasses both remand prisoners and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Analysts suggest the actual total is substantially larger due to missing information from several countries.

Females typically constitute a small minority of national prison populations – typically between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nonetheless, their numbers are increasing at a more rapid tempo than male prisoners.

Since the year 2000, the female prison population in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – almost three times the growth observed in the male inmate numbers. The international incarcerated women statistics rose by over 100,000 individuals during the ten-year interval ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Increase

Women's lawbreaking are commonly associated with economic hardship and typically represent a method of sustenance to provide for their families.

Comprehensive research has found that legislation frequently penalizes essential livelihood measures 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 almost exclusively affect women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the inability to pay fines for minor crimes or to arrange temporary freedom.

States with the Largest Women Inmate Numbers

The US has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China comes next with 145,000, plus an unknown number of women and girls in remand imprisonment 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 England and Wales, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the overall inmate count. Estimates suggest these numbers are predicted to increase 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 Significant Increases in Incarcerated Women Statistics

Even accounting for typical population expansion over the past 25 years, the rise in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people continues to demonstrate a substantial rise. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while these countries 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 states that carry out executions on the most women are likewise the states that execute the most people in general, namely China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by current records, an uncertain quantity of women were executed 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 countries that execute the most or for nations like North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, analysis is accessible regarding 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women on death row.

The main offenses for which women are receiving execution orders are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with compulsory capital punishment for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are prone to exhibit increased quantities of women on death row and more executions.

Moreover, countries that harshly penalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Gulf region and Asian southeast, have a significant percentage of women on death row.

Appropriateness of Incarceration for Females

Various professionals and campaigners contend that prison is inappropriate penalty 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 fit this category. Women commonly face a "revolving door" of short prison sentences – inadequate duration to participate in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an identifiable mental illness. In Europe, self-destruction numbers for women in prison are nine times higher than for the wider community, based on the World Health Organization.

In answer to growing statistics of jailed women and a absence of guidelines considering their circumstances, the United Nations Female Inmate Guidelines (known as the Bangkok Rules) were approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules require nations to establish non-imprisonment penalties and to provide women-specific consideration in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An estimated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, typically their mother, while a much larger quantity are apart from their mothers. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

In addition to the evident parting and related distress that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to forfeit parental rights of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Many countries allow for 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.