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Current Worldwide Women Prison Population

More than 733,000 women and girls are confined in correctional facilities globally, according to current analyses. This figure covers both remand prisoners and individuals already found guilty and punished. Experts believe the actual total is significantly higher due to incomplete data from multiple countries.

Females typically constitute a small minority of national prison populations – commonly between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nevertheless, their numbers are increasing at a more rapid tempo than male prisoners.

Since the year 2000, the number of women and girls in prison has grown by nearly 60% – roughly triple the growth observed in the male inmate numbers. The worldwide women inmate count grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the ten-year interval ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Increase

Female criminal activities are often connected to financial deprivation and often constitute a means of survival to care for their dependents.

Extensive studies has found that laws often criminalize basic sustenance activities and that women are unfairly targeted because they are over-represented among the poorest sectors of society. In numerous countries, laws penalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the lack of resources for fines for minor crimes or to secure bail.

Nations with the Largest Women Inmate Numbers

The US has the highest count of female prisoners with 174,607. China ranks second with 145,000, plus an unknown number of women and girls in pre-trial detention 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 England and Wales, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the total prison population. Forecasts show 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, representing approximately 8% of its overall inmate demographic.

Nations with Substantial Rises in Female Prison Populations

Despite considering typical population expansion over the past 25 years, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people continues to demonstrate a substantial rise. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while Indonesia and Turkey have seen growth exceeding 500%.

Women on Death Row

Recent estimates 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 likewise the states that execute the most people in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. According to recent documentation, an uncertain quantity of women were put to death in China, while two faced execution in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

No accurate data is available for nations with highest execution rates or for others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the most women on death row.

The two primary crimes for which women are given capital punishment are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with compulsory capital punishment for murder, or that do not recognize gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are prone to exhibit higher numbers of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

Furthermore, countries that severely criminalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Gulf region and southeast Asia, have a high proportion of women on death row.

Fitness of Incarceration for Females

Numerous specialists and activists contend that prison is unsuitable sanction for a large number of women who break the law. The majority are imprisoned for non-aggressive offenses; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women frequently experience a "repetitive cycle of limited imprisonment terms – inadequate duration to participate in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Approximately 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 overall public, based on the WHO.

In reaction to increasing figures of incarcerated women and a deficiency of regulations 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 require nations to establish non-imprisonment penalties and to ensure gender-sensitive treatment in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An estimated 19,000 children reside in correctional facilities with a parent, typically their mother, while significantly more children are divided from their parents. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

In addition to the evident parting and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is quite common for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Various states make provision for babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a certain age. Nevertheless, a early life in correctional facilities can negatively affect a minor both in health and mental state.