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Current Global Women Prison Population

Over 733,000 women and girls are currently held in correctional facilities globally, according to latest analyses. This statistic includes both remand prisoners and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the real number is much greater due to incomplete data from multiple nations.

Female inmates generally account for a small minority of national prison populations – typically between 2-9% on average. As of now, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nevertheless, their population is growing at a more rapid tempo than male prisoners.

Over the past two decades, the number of women and girls in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – nearly thrice the growth observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The international incarcerated women statistics rose by over 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Rise

Female criminal activities are commonly associated with economic hardship and usually serve as a method of sustenance to care for their dependents.

Detailed analysis has found that laws often criminalize basic sustenance activities and that women are disproportionately affected because they are over-represented among the lowest economic brackets of society. In numerous countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution disproportionately target women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is frequently connected with poverty and the lack of resources for fines for minor crimes or to secure bail.

Nations with the Highest Women Inmate Numbers

The US has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China ranks second with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in awaiting trial custody 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 Britain, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the total prison population. Estimates suggest these numbers are predicted to increase 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 total prison population.

Nations with Significant Increases in Female Prison Populations

Despite considering normal population growth over the past 25 years, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people remains indicative of a remarkable increase. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen growth exceeding 500%.

Female Capital Punishment Cases

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 also the countries that execute the most people in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on recent documentation, an undetermined count of women were put to death 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. Nevertheless, analysis is available for 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women on death row.

The main offenses for which women are given capital punishment are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with compulsory capital punishment for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as mitigating circumstances, are more likely to have increased quantities of women on death row and additional capital punishments.

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

Suitability of Prison for Women

Many experts and campaigners argue that prison is inappropriate penalty for a large number of women who break the law. The majority are imprisoned 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 – insufficiently long 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-destruction numbers for women in prison are nine times higher than for the wider community, based on the World Health Organization.

In response to increasing figures of jailed women and a absence of guidelines addressing their requirements, the International Women Prisoner Standards (known as the Bangkok Rules) were adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules mandate countries to create alternative punishments and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An estimated 19,000 children dwell in incarceration centers with a parent, typically their mother, while a much larger quantity are apart from their mothers. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

Apart from the obvious separation and connected hardship that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a brief period in prison.

Numerous nations make provision for babies and young children to remain in correctional facilities with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nevertheless, a childhood spent in prison can harm a young person both in health and mental state.