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Current Global Female Prison Population

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are detained in correctional facilities internationally, as reported by current analyses. This statistic covers both remand prisoners and those who have been found guilty and punished. Researchers estimate the actual total is significantly higher due to incomplete data from numerous countries.

Women consistently represent a limited percentage of correctional system demographics – commonly between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nevertheless, their numbers are increasing at a quicker pace than male prisoners.

Over the past two decades, the incarcerated females in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – nearly thrice the rise observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The international incarcerated women statistics grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Growth

Female criminal activities are often linked to poverty and usually serve as a method of sustenance to provide for their families.

Comprehensive research has established that regulations typically outlaw essential livelihood measures and that women are unfairly targeted because they are more commonly found among the poorest sectors of society. In numerous countries, laws prohibiting abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the inability to pay fines for minor crimes or to secure bail.

Countries with the Highest Incarcerated Women Statistics

The America has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China ranks second with 145,000, plus an uncertain quantity 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 the UK, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the complete incarceration statistics. Projections indicate 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 complete incarceration numbers.

States with Substantial Rises in Female Prison Populations

Although including 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. These two nations have experienced over six times growth, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen more than fivefold rises.

Women on Death Row

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 likewise the states that perform the highest number of executions in general, namely China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. According to recent documentation, an undetermined count of women were executed in China, while two faced execution 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 others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is accessible regarding 15 other countries with the most women on death row.

The main offenses for which women are receiving execution orders are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with mandatory death penalties for murder, or that do not recognize gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are inclined to display increased quantities of women on death row and more executions.

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

Fitness of Prison for Women

Many experts and campaigners contend that prison is not a suitable punishment for a substantial percentage of women who commit crimes. Many are jailed for non-aggressive offenses; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women commonly face a "revolving door" of brief incarceration periods – insufficiently long to participate 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 wider community, based on the World Health Organization.

In reaction to rising numbers of incarcerated women and a absence of guidelines reflecting their needs, the International Women Prisoner Standards (known as the Bangkok Rules) were approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules oblige states to establish non-imprisonment penalties and to ensure gender-sensitive treatment in prisons.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

An estimated 19,000 children reside in correctional facilities with a parent, usually their mother, while significantly more children are apart from their mothers. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

Besides the evident parting and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a short time in prison.

Numerous nations permit babies and young children to remain in correctional facilities with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. However, a youth experienced in incarceration can damage a child both bodily and psychologically.