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Current Worldwide Women Prison Population

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are currently held in prison systems globally, based on latest investigations. This figure encompasses both remand prisoners and individuals already found guilty and punished. Experts believe the actual total is much greater due to missing information from multiple states.

Females typically constitute a minor proportion of correctional system demographics – commonly between 2-9% on average. As of now, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nevertheless, their numbers are increasing at a more rapid tempo than male inmates.

Since the year 2000, the incarcerated females in prison has grown by nearly 60% – almost three times the increase observed in the male inmate numbers. The worldwide women inmate count increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Growth

Offenses committed by women are often linked to poverty and typically represent a method of sustenance to support their children and relatives.

Comprehensive research has found that regulations typically outlaw essential livelihood measures and that women are unfairly targeted because they are more commonly found among the lowest economic brackets of society. In many countries, laws penalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution disproportionately target women. The chance of being given a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the inability to pay fines for small infractions or to secure bail.

States with the Largest Women Inmate Numbers

The America has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China follows 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 total prison population. Forecasts show these numbers are anticipated to grow to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently detained, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, representing approximately 8% of its overall inmate demographic.

States with Significant Increases in Incarcerated Women Statistics

Although including standard demographic increases over the past 25 years, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people continues to demonstrate a remarkable increase. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced more than sixfold increases, while Indonesia and Turkey have seen more than fivefold rises.

Female Capital Punishment Cases

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 similarly the nations that carry out the most capital punishments in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by recent documentation, an undetermined count of women were put to death in China, while two were executed in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

No accurate data is available for states with most frequent capital punishment or for others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, analysis is accessible regarding 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women on death row.

The principal violations 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 more likely to have higher numbers of women on death row and more executions.

Moreover, countries that strictly prohibit drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and Asian southeast, have a high proportion of women on death row.

Suitability of Imprisonment for Women

Various professionals and advocates maintain that prison is unsuitable sanction for a substantial percentage of women who break the law. Most are incarcerated for peaceful violations; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women commonly face a "cyclical pattern of short prison sentences – inadequate duration to participate in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Approximately 80% of women in prison worldwide have an identifiable mental illness. In Europe, self-harm statistics for women in prison are nine times higher than for the general population, as reported by the WHO.

In answer to rising numbers of incarcerated women and a lack of standards reflecting their needs, the United Nations Female Inmate Guidelines (known as the Bangkok Rules) were accepted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules require nations to develop non-custodial sanctions and to ensure gender-sensitive treatment in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An calculated 19,000 children reside in correctional facilities with a parent, most often their mother, while many times that number are apart from their mothers. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

Apart from the clear division and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is quite common for a woman to forfeit parental rights of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Many countries permit babies and young children to remain in correctional facilities with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nevertheless, a childhood spent in prison can negatively affect a minor both bodily and psychologically.