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Current Worldwide Women Prison Population

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are currently held in prison systems internationally, based on recent research studies. This number encompasses both awaiting trial prisoners and those who have been found guilty and punished. Experts believe the actual total is much greater due to incomplete data from several nations.

Women consistently represent a small minority of correctional system demographics – usually between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nevertheless, their population is growing at a quicker pace than male prisoners.

Over the past two decades, the incarcerated females in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – roughly triple the rise observed in the male prison population. The global female prison population rose by over 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Main Causes Behind the Growth

Women's lawbreaking are commonly linked to poverty and often constitute a method of sustenance to support their children and relatives.

Detailed analysis has determined that legislation frequently penalizes acts of survival and that women are unequally impacted because they are more commonly found among the poorest sectors of society. In many countries, laws penalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the failure to afford fines for small infractions or to arrange temporary freedom.

States with the Greatest Female Prison Populations

The US has the highest count of female prisoners with 174,607. China follows with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in remand imprisonment 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 the UK, 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 detained, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, constituting approximately 8% of its overall inmate demographic.

Countries with Substantial Rises in Female Prison Populations

Although including standard demographic increases over the previous two-and-a-half decades, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a substantial rise. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced more than sixfold increases, 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 states that carry out executions on the most women are likewise the states that carry out the most capital punishments in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by recent documentation, an unknown number 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 nations with highest execution rates or for nations like North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the highest numbers of females on death row.

The principal violations for which women are given capital punishment are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with mandatory death penalties for murder, or that fail to acknowledge gender-based violence as reducing factors, are prone to exhibit higher numbers of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

Additionally, countries that severely criminalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Gulf region and Asian southeast, have a substantial ratio of women on death row.

Appropriateness of Prison for Women

Various professionals and advocates contend that prison is unsuitable sanction for a substantial percentage of women who commit crimes. Many are jailed for peaceful violations; in England and Wales, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women frequently experience a "repetitive cycle of limited imprisonment terms – too brief to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 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 overall public, as reported by the World Health Organization.

In answer to rising numbers of incarcerated women and a deficiency of regulations considering their circumstances, the International Women Prisoner Standards (known as the Bangkok Rules) were accepted 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.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

An approximated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, most often their mother, while significantly more children are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a incarcerated mother.

In addition to the clear division and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is quite common for a woman to be deprived of guardianship of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Various states allow for babies and young children to remain in correctional facilities with their mothers up to a specific age. Nevertheless, a childhood spent in prison can harm a young person both in health and mental state.