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Current Global Female Prison Inmates

Over 733,000 women and girls are detained in prison systems internationally, as reported by recent investigations. This figure includes both pre-trial detainees and those who have been found guilty and punished. Experts believe the real number is significantly higher due to incomplete data from several states.

Women consistently represent a small minority of national prison populations – commonly between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. However, their figures are rising at a more rapid tempo than male prisoners.

From the millennium onward, the female prison population in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – nearly thrice the growth observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The global female prison population grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Main Causes Behind the Increase

Female criminal activities are commonly connected to financial deprivation and typically represent a way to support themselves to care for their dependents.

Extensive studies has established that legislation frequently penalizes acts of survival and that women are disproportionately affected because they are disproportionately represented among the lowest economic brackets of society. In many countries, laws prohibiting abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution almost exclusively affect women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the failure to afford fines for minor crimes or to arrange temporary freedom.

Nations with the Highest Female Prison Populations

The US has the highest count of female prisoners with 174,607. China comes next with 145,000, plus an unknown number of women and girls in awaiting trial custody 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 England and Wales, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the overall inmate count. Projections indicate these numbers are anticipated to grow to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently imprisoned, 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 standard demographic increases over the last quarter-century, the rise 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 Indonesia and Turkey have seen increases over five times.

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 countries that execute the most women are also the countries that carry out the most capital punishments in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. According to latest reports, an undetermined count 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.

No accurate data is available for countries that execute the most or for nations like North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the highest numbers of females on death row.

The two primary crimes for which women are given capital punishment are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with mandatory death penalties for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as reducing factors, are inclined to display higher numbers of women on death row and additional capital punishments.

Furthermore, countries that severely criminalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Arabian Peninsula and Oriental southeast, have a significant percentage of women on death row.

Fitness of Incarceration for Females

Various professionals and campaigners argue that prison is not a suitable punishment for a substantial percentage of women who violate regulations. Most are incarcerated for non-violent crimes; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women frequently experience a "cyclical pattern of short prison sentences – too brief to participate in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Approximately 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 wider community, based on the WHO.

In reaction to increasing figures of jailed women and a lack of standards considering their circumstances, the International Women Prisoner Standards (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 guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

An calculated 19,000 children dwell in incarceration centers with a parent, usually their mother, while many times that number are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

Apart from the evident parting and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is not uncommon for a woman to be deprived of guardianship of her children after just a brief period in prison.

Various states make provision for babies and young children to live in incarceration centers 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.