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Current Worldwide Female Prison Population

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are confined in prison systems internationally, according to latest analyses. This statistic covers both remand prisoners and individuals already found guilty and punished. Analysts suggest the actual total is substantially larger due to unavailable statistics from several nations.

Females typically constitute a small minority of national prison populations – usually between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls account for 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 female prison population in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – nearly thrice the increase observed in the male prison population. The international incarcerated women statistics grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Increase

Women's lawbreaking are frequently linked to poverty and usually serve as a means of survival to care for their dependents.

Detailed analysis has determined that laws often criminalize acts of survival and that women are unfairly targeted because they are over-represented among the most impoverished segments of society. In numerous countries, laws prohibiting abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution almost exclusively affect women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the failure to afford fines for minor crimes or to arrange temporary freedom.

Nations with the Highest Incarcerated Women Statistics

The United States has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China ranks second with 145,000, plus an unknown number of women and girls in awaiting trial custody and "bureaucratic confinement. 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. Forecasts show 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, constituting approximately 8% of its total prison population.

Nations with Significant Increases in Incarcerated Women Statistics

Despite considering typical population expansion over the past 25 years, the rise in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a significant growth. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced over six times growth, while Turkey and Indonesia 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 countries that execute the most women are similarly the nations that perform the highest number of executions in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by latest reports, 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. Nonetheless, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women 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 fail to acknowledge gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are prone to exhibit increased quantities of women on death row and additional capital punishments.

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

Appropriateness of Imprisonment for Women

Numerous specialists and campaigners contend that prison is unsuitable sanction for a substantial percentage of women who break the law. Many are jailed for peaceful violations; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women commonly face a "cyclical pattern of short prison sentences – insufficiently long to take part in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Approximately 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 overall public, as reported by the global health authority.

In answer to rising numbers of incarcerated women and a absence of guidelines reflecting their needs, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (known as the Bangkok Rules) were accepted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules oblige states to develop non-custodial sanctions and to ensure gender-sensitive treatment in prisons.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

An estimated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, most often their mother, while a much larger quantity are divided from their parents. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

In addition to the obvious separation and connected hardship that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to forfeit parental rights of her children after just a brief period in prison.

Various states permit babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a specific age. However, a childhood spent in prison can damage a child both bodily and psychologically.