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Current Global Women Prison Inmates

More than 733,000 women and girls are currently held in correctional facilities worldwide, according to current research studies. This number encompasses both remand prisoners and those who have been found guilty and punished. Researchers estimate the actual total is much greater due to incomplete data from multiple states.

Female inmates generally account for a limited percentage of correctional system demographics – commonly between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nevertheless, their population is growing at a quicker pace than male prisoners.

From the millennium onward, the number of women and girls in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – almost three times the rise observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The international incarcerated women statistics rose by over 100,000 individuals during the ten-year interval ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Growth

Women's lawbreaking are commonly connected to financial deprivation and typically represent a way to support themselves to provide for their families.

Detailed analysis has found that legislation frequently penalizes basic sustenance activities and that women are unfairly targeted because they are disproportionately represented among the poorest sectors of society. In numerous countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the lack of resources for fines for minor crimes or to secure bail.

Nations with the Highest Women Inmate Numbers

The United States 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 pre-trial detention and "procedural custody. 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 Britain, 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, constituting approximately 8% of its total prison population.

Nations with Substantial Rises in Incarcerated Women Statistics

Although including normal population growth over the past 25 years, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a remarkable increase. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while these countries have seen growth exceeding 500%.

Incarcerated Women Facing Execution

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 likewise the states that perform the highest number of executions in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on latest reports, an undetermined count 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 additional countries including North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, analysis is obtainable concerning 15 other countries with the most women on death row.

The principal violations for which women are sentenced to death are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with required execution sentences for murder, or that do not recognize gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are prone to exhibit greater amounts of women on death row and additional capital punishments.

Additionally, countries that harshly penalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Arabian Peninsula and Oriental southeast, have a substantial ratio of women on death row.

Fitness of Imprisonment for Women

Numerous specialists and advocates contend that prison is not a suitable punishment for a substantial percentage of women who commit crimes. The majority are imprisoned for non-violent crimes; in England and Wales, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fell into this classification. Women often encounter a "revolving door" of limited imprisonment terms – insufficiently long to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

As many as 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, according to the global health authority.

In answer to rising numbers of jailed women and a deficiency of regulations addressing their requirements, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (known as the Bangkok Rules) were adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules oblige states to create alternative punishments and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An estimated 19,000 children dwell in incarceration centers with a parent, usually their mother, while significantly more children are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a incarcerated mother.

Apart from the obvious separation and connected hardship that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a brief period in prison.

Many countries make provision for babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nevertheless, a early life in correctional facilities can harm a young person both physically and emotionally.