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Current Global Women Prison Inmates

Over 733,000 women and girls are confined in prison systems globally, as reported by current analyses. This statistic covers both remand prisoners and individuals already found guilty and punished. Analysts suggest the real number is substantially larger due to incomplete data from numerous countries.

Female inmates generally account for a limited percentage of overall inmate numbers – commonly between 2-9% on average. As of now, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nonetheless, their numbers are increasing at a quicker pace than male prisoners.

Over the past two decades, the number of women and girls in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – almost three times the growth observed in the male prison population. The international incarcerated women statistics grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Key Factors Behind the Growth

Offenses committed by women are frequently connected to financial deprivation and typically represent a means of survival to support their children and relatives.

Comprehensive research has found that regulations typically outlaw essential livelihood measures and that women are unfairly targeted because they are more commonly found among the lowest economic brackets of society. In many countries, laws criminalizing abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution primarily impact women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is frequently connected with poverty and the failure to afford fines for small infractions or to arrange temporary freedom.

States with the Largest Women Inmate Numbers

The United States has the greatest quantity of female prisoners with 174,607. China ranks second with 145,000, plus an uncertain quantity of women and girls in awaiting trial custody 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 Britain, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the total prison population. 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 overall inmate demographic.

Countries with Significant Increases in Women Inmate Numbers

Despite considering standard demographic increases over the past 25 years, the increase in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a significant growth. These two nations have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen increases over five times.

Female Capital Punishment Cases

Recent estimates 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 likewise the states that execute the most people in general, namely China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on recent documentation, 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.

Incomplete statistics is available for countries that execute the most or for others such as North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, 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 mandatory death penalties for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as reducing factors, are inclined to display increased quantities of women on death row and more executions.

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

Suitability of Incarceration for Females

Various professionals and advocates maintain that prison is inappropriate penalty for a large number of women who commit crimes. The majority are imprisoned for non-aggressive offenses; in England and Wales, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women often encounter a "revolving door" of short prison sentences – insufficiently long to take part in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Up to 80% of women in prison worldwide have an recognizable psychiatric disorder. In Europe, self-harm statistics for women in prison are nine times higher than for the general population, based on the global health authority.

In answer to rising numbers of imprisoned females and a absence of guidelines considering their circumstances, the United Nations Female Inmate Guidelines (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 guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

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

Apart from the obvious separation and related distress that a prison sentence can cause, it is frequent for a woman to lose custody of her children after just a limited duration in prison.

Numerous nations permit babies and young children to stay in prison with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. However, a childhood spent in prison can harm a young person both physically and emotionally.