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Current Global Female Prison Population

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are confined in penal institutions globally, as reported by current research studies. This statistic encompasses both remand prisoners and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the actual total is much greater due to missing information from several states.

Female inmates generally account for a minor proportion of overall inmate numbers – typically between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nonetheless, their numbers are increasing at a more rapid tempo than male inmates.

Since the year 2000, the female prison population in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – nearly thrice the growth observed in the male inmate numbers. The global female prison population rose by over 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Key Factors Behind the Increase

Offenses committed by women are often linked to poverty and often constitute a means of survival to care for their dependents.

Extensive studies has found that laws often criminalize essential livelihood measures and that women are disproportionately affected because they are disproportionately represented among the lowest economic brackets of society. In many countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The likelihood of receiving a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the inability to pay fines for petty offenses or to arrange temporary freedom.

Countries with the Greatest Women Inmate Numbers

The US has the highest count of female prisoners with 174,607. China comes next with 145,000, plus an unknown number of women and girls in awaiting trial custody and "bureaucratic confinement. Additional major sources 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. Forecasts show 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, representing approximately 8% of its total prison population.

Countries with Major Growth in Female Prison Populations

Even accounting for normal population growth over the previous two-and-a-half decades, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a significant growth. These two nations have experienced more than sixfold increases, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen increases over five times.

Incarcerated Women Facing Execution

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 execute the most people in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. According to latest reports, an unknown number of women were given capital punishment 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. Nonetheless, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women on death row.

The main offenses for which women are receiving execution orders are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with required execution sentences for murder, or that fail to acknowledge gender-based violence as lessening conditions, are inclined to display increased quantities of women on death row and frequent death sentences.

Furthermore, countries that strictly prohibit drug trafficking, such as those in the Arabian Peninsula and Asian southeast, have a substantial ratio of women on death row.

Fitness of Prison for Women

Numerous specialists and advocates contend that prison is inappropriate penalty for a substantial percentage of women who violate regulations. The majority are imprisoned for non-violent crimes; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women often encounter a "cyclical pattern of limited imprisonment terms – insufficiently long to engage in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Approximately 80% of women in prison worldwide have an identifiable mental illness. In Europe, self-harm statistics for women in prison are nine times higher than for the wider community, as reported by the WHO.

In answer to increasing figures of imprisoned females and a lack of standards addressing their requirements, the United Nations Female Inmate Guidelines (known as the Bangkok Rules) were adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules require nations to develop non-custodial sanctions and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

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

In addition to the obvious separation and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is quite common for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a short time in prison.

Many countries permit babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a specific age. Nevertheless, a youth experienced in incarceration can harm a young person both physically and emotionally.