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Current Global Women Prison Inmates

Over 733,000 women and girls are currently held in correctional facilities worldwide, based on latest research studies. This number encompasses both awaiting trial prisoners and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the real number is significantly higher due to missing information from numerous countries.

Females typically constitute a minor proportion of national prison populations – typically between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nevertheless, their figures are rising at a quicker pace than male prisoners.

From the millennium onward, the number of women and girls in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – almost three times the growth observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The global female prison population grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Increase

Offenses committed by women are commonly linked to poverty and usually serve as a way to support themselves to care for their dependents.

Detailed analysis has determined that legislation frequently penalizes essential livelihood measures and that women are unequally impacted because they are more commonly found among the most impoverished segments of society. In many countries, laws penalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is frequently connected with poverty and the inability to pay fines for small infractions or to obtain release.

Countries with the Greatest Female Prison Populations

The US has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China comes next with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in awaiting trial custody 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 England and Wales, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the overall inmate count. Estimates suggest these numbers are expected to rise to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently imprisoned, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, amounting to approximately 8% of its total prison population.

Nations with Major Growth in Female Prison Populations

Even accounting for normal population growth over the last quarter-century, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a substantial rise. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while these countries have seen increases over five times.

Female Capital Punishment Cases

Present approximations 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 execute the most people in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by latest reports, an uncertain quantity of women were executed 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 nations with highest execution rates or for nations like North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, analysis is obtainable concerning 15 other countries with the highest numbers of females on death row.

The main offenses for which women are sentenced to death are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with mandatory death penalties for murder, or that do not recognize gender-based violence as reducing factors, are more likely to have greater amounts of women on death row and more executions.

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

Fitness of Imprisonment for Women

Numerous specialists and advocates argue that prison is unsuitable sanction for a large number of women who commit crimes. The majority are imprisoned for non-violent crimes; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women commonly face a "repetitive cycle of limited imprisonment terms – too brief to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

As many as 80% of women in prison worldwide have an recognizable psychiatric disorder. In Europe, self-harm statistics for women in prison are nine times higher than for the wider community, according to the World Health Organization.

In response to rising numbers of jailed women and a deficiency of regulations addressing their requirements, the International Women Prisoner Standards (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 guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Kids with Imprisoned Mothers

An calculated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, usually their mother, while a much larger quantity are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

In addition to the obvious separation and related distress that a prison sentence can cause, it is not uncommon for a woman to be deprived of guardianship of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Various states make provision for babies and young children to live in incarceration centers with their mothers up to a specific age. However, a early life in correctional facilities can damage a child both in health and mental state.