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Current Worldwide Female Prison Population

More than 733,000 women and girls are confined in penal institutions worldwide, based on current research studies. This statistic covers both remand prisoners and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Researchers estimate the actual total is substantially larger due to incomplete data from numerous states.

Women consistently represent a small minority of national prison populations – usually between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nevertheless, their population is growing at a quicker pace than incarcerated men.

Since the year 2000, the incarcerated females in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – almost three times the rise observed in the incarcerated male demographic. The global female prison population grew by exceeding 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Key Factors Behind the Growth

Female criminal activities are frequently associated with economic hardship and typically represent a means of survival to care for their dependents.

Extensive studies has determined that legislation frequently penalizes acts of survival 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 almost exclusively affect women. The chance of being given a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the inability to pay fines for minor crimes or to obtain release.

States with the Largest Female Prison Populations

The United States has the highest count of female prisoners with 174,607. China follows with 145,000, plus an uncertain quantity of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "bureaucratic confinement. 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 complete incarceration statistics. Forecasts show these numbers are expected to rise to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently detained, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, amounting to approximately 8% of its complete incarceration numbers.

States with Major Growth in Incarcerated Women Statistics

Even accounting for normal population growth 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. El Salvador and Cambodia have experienced more than sixfold increases, while Indonesia and Turkey have seen increases over five times.

Incarcerated Women Facing Execution

Present approximations 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 also the countries that perform the highest number of executions in general, namely China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on current records, an undetermined count of women were put to death 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 states with most frequent capital punishment or for additional countries including North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nevertheless, analysis is accessible regarding 15 other countries with the most women on death row.

The two primary crimes for which women are sentenced to death are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with mandatory death penalties for murder, or that do not recognize gender-based violence as reducing factors, are prone to exhibit increased quantities of women on death row and more executions.

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

Suitability of Incarceration for Females

Many experts and activists maintain that prison is unsuitable sanction for a large number of women who break the law. Most are incarcerated for non-violent crimes; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 belonged to this group. Women frequently experience a "repetitive cycle of short prison sentences – insufficiently long to engage 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 overall public, as reported by the World Health Organization.

In answer to rising numbers of jailed women and a deficiency of regulations 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.

Kids with Imprisoned Mothers

An estimated 19,000 children reside in correctional facilities with a parent, most often their mother, while significantly more children are separated from them. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

In addition to the evident parting and associated suffering that a prison sentence can cause, it is quite common for a woman to forfeit parental rights of her children after just a brief period in prison.

Many countries allow for 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.