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Current Worldwide Women Prison Population

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are currently held in prison systems worldwide, according to current analyses. This number covers both awaiting trial prisoners and those who have been found guilty and punished. Analysts suggest the actual total is much greater due to missing information from several countries.

Women consistently represent a minor proportion of correctional system demographics – commonly between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nevertheless, their numbers are increasing at a faster rate than incarcerated men.

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 male prison population. The worldwide women inmate count increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Main Causes Behind the Increase

Offenses committed by women are often linked to poverty and often constitute a way to support themselves to support their children and relatives.

Detailed analysis has found that regulations typically outlaw acts of survival and that women are unfairly targeted because they are over-represented among the poorest sectors of society. In numerous countries, laws criminalizing 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 obtain release.

States with the Greatest Incarcerated Women Statistics

The US has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China follows with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in remand imprisonment 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 the UK, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the total prison population. Forecasts show these numbers are anticipated to grow to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently imprisoned, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, amounting to approximately 8% of its overall inmate demographic.

Countries with Major Growth in Incarcerated Women Statistics

Although including standard demographic increases over the previous two-and-a-half decades, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people remains indicative of a significant growth. These two nations have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while Turkey and Indonesia have seen growth exceeding 500%.

Women on Death Row

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 likewise the states that carry out the most capital punishments in general, namely China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on current records, an undetermined count of women were given capital punishment in China, while two faced execution in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Unreliable information is available for nations with highest execution rates or for nations like North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, analysis is obtainable concerning 15 other countries with the most women on death row.

The two primary crimes 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 lessening conditions, are more likely to have greater amounts of women on death row and additional capital punishments.

Moreover, countries that harshly penalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and Oriental southeast, have a substantial ratio of women on death row.

Appropriateness of Prison for Women

Various professionals and campaigners contend that prison is inappropriate penalty for a large number of women who violate regulations. The majority are imprisoned for non-aggressive offenses; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women frequently experience a "repetitive cycle of brief incarceration periods – too brief to engage 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 wider community, according to the global health authority.

In answer to increasing figures of incarcerated women and a deficiency of regulations reflecting their needs, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (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 provide women-specific consideration in prisons.

Offspring of Incarcerated Women

An estimated 19,000 children reside in correctional facilities with a parent, usually their mother, while many times that number are divided from their parents. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

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

Numerous nations permit babies and young children to live in incarceration centers with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nevertheless, a early life in correctional facilities can negatively affect a minor both in health and mental state.