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Current Global Women Prison Inmates

More than 733,000 women and girls are detained in correctional facilities internationally, based on latest analyses. This number encompasses both pre-trial detainees and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the true count is substantially larger due to unavailable statistics from several nations.

Women consistently represent a minor proportion of correctional system demographics – usually between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the global prison population. Nevertheless, their population is growing at a quicker pace than male inmates.

From the millennium onward, the number of women and girls in prison has increased by almost three-fifths – roughly triple the growth observed in the male inmate numbers. The international incarcerated women statistics increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Increase

Women's lawbreaking are frequently linked to poverty and typically represent a way to support themselves to support their children and relatives.

Comprehensive research has determined that laws often criminalize acts of survival and that women are unequally impacted because they are over-represented among the lowest economic brackets of society. In many countries, laws prohibiting abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution disproportionately target women. The chance of being given a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the failure to afford fines for minor crimes or to arrange temporary freedom.

States with the Greatest Incarcerated Women Statistics

The US has the highest count of female prisoners with 174,607. China follows with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "administrative detention". 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. Projections indicate these numbers are expected to rise 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 complete incarceration numbers.

States with Substantial Rises in Women Inmate Numbers

Even accounting for typical population expansion over the past 25 years, the rise in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people remains indicative of a significant growth. Cambodia and El Salvador have experienced more than sixfold increases, while Indonesia and Turkey have seen more than fivefold rises.

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 states that carry out executions on the most women are likewise the states that perform the highest number of executions in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on latest reports, an undetermined count of women were put to death in China, while two received death sentences in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Incomplete statistics is available for nations with highest execution rates or for nations like North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nonetheless, analysis is accessible regarding 15 other countries with the largest quantities of women on death row.

The main offenses for which women are sentenced to death are murder and drug trafficking. Countries with compulsory capital punishment for murder, or that fail to acknowledge gender-based violence as reducing factors, are prone to exhibit higher numbers of women on death row and more executions.

Additionally, countries that strictly prohibit drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and southeast Asia, have a significant percentage of women on death row.

Fitness of Imprisonment for Women

Many experts and advocates argue that prison is not a suitable punishment for a significant portion of women who violate regulations. Most are incarcerated for non-violent crimes; in Britain, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women commonly face a "revolving door" of limited imprisonment terms – insufficiently long to take part in meaningful education, training or work opportunities.

Approximately 80% of women in prison worldwide have an diagnosable psychological condition. In Europe, self-harm statistics for women in prison are nine times higher than for the overall public, based on the global health authority.

In answer to increasing figures of incarcerated women and a lack of standards addressing their requirements, the United Nations Female Inmate Guidelines (known as the Bangkok Rules) were approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules mandate countries to develop non-custodial sanctions and to ensure gender-sensitive treatment in prisons.

Kids with Imprisoned Mothers

An approximated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, most often their mother, while many times that number are divided from their parents. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a imprisoned parent.

In addition to the obvious separation 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 brief period in prison.

Numerous nations make provision for babies and young children to live in incarceration centers with their mothers up to a particular maturity level. Nevertheless, a youth experienced in incarceration can negatively affect a minor both physically and emotionally.