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Present Worldwide Female Prison Population

More than 733,000 women and girls are currently held in prison systems internationally, based on current investigations. This number includes both pre-trial detainees and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the real number is much greater due to missing information from several nations.

Female inmates generally account for a limited percentage of overall inmate numbers – usually between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the world's incarcerated individuals. Nevertheless, their figures are rising at a more rapid tempo than male prisoners.

From the millennium onward, the incarcerated females in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – roughly triple the rise observed in the male inmate numbers. The global female prison population grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Growth

Female criminal activities are frequently linked to poverty and usually serve as a way to support themselves to care for their dependents.

Detailed analysis has found that legislation frequently penalizes basic sustenance activities and that women are unequally impacted because they are more commonly found among the poorest sectors of society. In numerous countries, laws penalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The chance of being given a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the failure to afford fines for petty offenses or to secure bail.

Nations with the Largest Women Inmate Numbers

The US has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China comes next with 145,000, plus an uncertain quantity of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "procedural custody. 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 total prison population. Projections indicate these numbers are predicted to increase 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.

States with Significant Increases in Female Prison Populations

Despite considering standard demographic increases over the previous two-and-a-half decades, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a substantial rise. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced over six times growth, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen growth exceeding 500%.

Incarcerated Women Facing Execution

Recent estimates indicate there are between 500 and 1,000 women on death row in at least 42 countries worldwide.

The nations that put to death the most women are also the countries that carry out the most capital punishments in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on recent documentation, an unknown number 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 additional countries including North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, analysis is accessible regarding 15 other countries with the highest numbers of females on death row.

The principal violations for which women are receiving execution orders are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with required execution sentences for murder, or that do not recognize gender-based violence as reducing factors, are inclined to display higher numbers of women on death row and more executions.

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

Fitness of Incarceration for Females

Many experts and activists argue that prison is not a suitable punishment 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 belonged to this group. Women frequently experience a "cyclical pattern of limited imprisonment terms – too brief to participate in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an identifiable mental illness. In Europe, self-destruction numbers for women in prison are nine times higher than for the general population, according to the World Health Organization.

In reaction to rising numbers of imprisoned females and a deficiency of regulations reflecting their needs, 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 provide women-specific consideration in prisons.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

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

Apart from the evident parting and associated suffering 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 make provision for babies and young children to live in incarceration centers with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nonetheless, a early life in correctional facilities can harm a young person both physically and emotionally.