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Present Global Women Prison Population

Over 733,000 women and girls are currently held in correctional facilities worldwide, based on latest research studies. This statistic includes both pre-trial detainees and individuals already found guilty and punished. Researchers estimate the actual total is much greater due to unavailable statistics from several nations.

Females typically constitute a minor proportion of correctional system demographics – commonly between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. However, their figures are rising at a faster rate than male prisoners.

Since the year 2000, the number of women and girls in prison has grown by nearly 60% – almost three times the increase observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The international incarcerated women statistics grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Growth

Women's lawbreaking are often associated with economic hardship and usually serve as a means of survival to care for their dependents.

Extensive studies has found that regulations typically outlaw essential livelihood measures and that women are disproportionately affected because they are over-represented among the most impoverished segments of society. In many countries, laws prohibiting abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution disproportionately target women. The chance of being given a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the inability to pay fines for petty offenses or to obtain release.

Nations with the Largest 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 pre-trial detention and "administrative detention". 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 complete incarceration statistics. Projections indicate 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, constituting approximately 8% of its complete incarceration numbers.

States with Substantial Rises in Female Prison Populations

Despite considering typical population expansion over the past 25 years, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people continues to demonstrate a substantial rise. These two nations have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while these countries have seen growth exceeding 500%.

Women on Death Row

Current calculations 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 similarly the nations that perform the highest number of executions in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on current records, 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 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 largest quantities of women on death row.

The two primary crimes for which women are given capital punishment 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 higher numbers of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

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

Suitability of Incarceration for Females

Numerous specialists and campaigners contend that prison is not a suitable punishment for a large number of women who break the law. Many are jailed for non-aggressive offenses; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women often encounter a "repetitive cycle of brief incarceration periods – inadequate duration to participate in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an diagnosable psychological condition. In Europe, self-harm statistics for women in prison are nine times higher than for the wider community, as reported by the global health authority.

In reaction to rising numbers of jailed women and a absence of guidelines addressing their requirements, the United Nations Female Inmate Guidelines (known as the Bangkok Rules) were approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules oblige states to develop non-custodial sanctions and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

An estimated 19,000 children reside in correctional facilities with a parent, most often their mother, while significantly more children are divided from their parents. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

In addition to the evident parting and connected hardship that a prison sentence can cause, it is not uncommon for a woman to be deprived of guardianship of her children after just a short time in prison.

Various states permit babies and young children to live in incarceration centers with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nonetheless, a youth experienced in incarceration can damage a child both bodily and psychologically.