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Present Worldwide Female Prison Inmates

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are confined in penal institutions internationally, based on current investigations. This number covers both remand prisoners and those who have been found guilty and punished. Researchers estimate the true count is much greater due to missing information from numerous countries.

Female inmates generally account for a limited percentage of overall inmate numbers – commonly between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls represent approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nevertheless, their numbers are increasing at a faster rate than male prisoners.

From the millennium onward, the number of women and girls in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – almost three times the increase observed in the male prison population. The global female prison population rose by over 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Growth

Women's lawbreaking are commonly connected to financial deprivation and usually serve as a way to support themselves to care for their dependents.

Extensive studies has established that laws often criminalize essential livelihood measures and that women are disproportionately affected because they are more commonly found among the poorest sectors of society. In many countries, laws penalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution almost exclusively affect women. The chance of being given a prison sentence is often also related to poverty and the failure to afford fines for minor crimes or to arrange temporary freedom.

States 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 "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 Britain, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the overall inmate count. Estimates suggest these numbers are predicted to increase to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are presently incarcerated, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, constituting approximately 8% of its total prison population.

States with Major Growth in Women Inmate Numbers

Even accounting for standard demographic increases over the last quarter-century, the rise in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people remains indicative of a significant growth. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced more than sixfold increases, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen more than fivefold rises.

Women on Death Row

Recent estimates 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 carry out the most capital punishments in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on recent documentation, an undetermined count of women were executed in China, while two received death sentences in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Unreliable information is available for states with most frequent capital punishment or for additional countries including North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is accessible regarding 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 required execution sentences for murder, or that fail to acknowledge gender-based violence as reducing factors, are more likely to have greater amounts of women on death row and more executions.

Additionally, countries that strictly prohibit drug trafficking, such as those in the Gulf region and Oriental southeast, have a high proportion of women on death row.

Suitability of Incarceration for Females

Various professionals and activists maintain that prison is inappropriate penalty for a significant portion of women who break the law. The majority are imprisoned for non-violent crimes; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women frequently experience a "revolving door" of limited imprisonment terms – inadequate duration to participate in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an recognizable psychiatric disorder. In Europe, suicide rates for women in prison are nine times higher than for the overall public, according to the World Health Organization.

In answer to increasing figures of imprisoned females and a absence of guidelines considering their circumstances, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (known as the Bangkok Rules) were adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules oblige states to create alternative punishments and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

An approximated 19,000 children reside in correctional facilities with a parent, usually their mother, while significantly more children are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a incarcerated mother.

Apart from the evident parting and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to be deprived of guardianship of her children after just a short time in prison.

Many countries make provision for babies and young children to live in incarceration centers 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.