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Current Global Female Prison Inmates

In excess of 733,000 women and girls are detained in penal institutions internationally, as reported by current investigations. This statistic encompasses both pre-trial detainees and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Researchers estimate the real number is much greater due to incomplete data from multiple nations.

Females typically constitute a small minority of overall inmate numbers – usually between 2-9% on average. Currently, women and girls comprise approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. Nonetheless, their numbers are increasing at a more rapid tempo than male inmates.

Over the past two decades, the incarcerated females in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – almost three times the growth observed in the male inmate numbers. The international incarcerated women statistics increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the decade-long span ending in 2020.

Primary Drivers Behind the Increase

Offenses committed by women are often connected to financial deprivation and usually serve as a method of sustenance to support their children and relatives.

Extensive studies has determined that legislation frequently penalizes essential livelihood measures and that women are unfairly targeted because they are over-represented among the poorest sectors of society. In numerous countries, laws prohibiting abortion, adultery, sexual misconduct and prostitution disproportionately target women. The probability of getting a prison sentence is typically associated with poverty and the lack of resources for fines for minor crimes or to obtain release.

States with the Greatest Women Inmate Numbers

The United States has the largest number of female prisoners with 174,607. China comes next with 145,000, plus an undetermined count of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "procedural custody. Additional major sources 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. Estimates suggest these numbers are anticipated to grow to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently detained, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, constituting approximately 8% of its total prison population.

Countries with Major Growth in Women Inmate Numbers

Even accounting for 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. These two nations have experienced over six times growth, while Indonesia and Turkey have seen growth exceeding 500%.

Female Capital Punishment Cases

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 similarly the nations that execute the most people in general, specifically China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As reported by latest reports, an undetermined count of women were executed in China, while two were executed in Egypt, 30 in Iran, one in Iraq, nine in Saudi Arabia and two in Yemen.

Incomplete statistics is available for states with most frequent capital punishment or for nations like North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. Nonetheless, analysis is obtainable concerning 15 other countries with the largest quantities of 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 mitigating circumstances, are more likely to have increased quantities of women on death row and additional capital punishments.

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

Suitability of Prison for Women

Numerous specialists and activists maintain that prison is inappropriate penalty for a significant portion of women who violate regulations. Most are incarcerated for peaceful violations; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fell into this classification. Women frequently experience a "revolving door" of limited imprisonment terms – 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, suicide rates for women in prison are nine times higher than for the general population, according to the global health authority.

In answer to increasing figures of imprisoned females and a deficiency of regulations considering their circumstances, the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (known as the Bangkok Rules) were approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules oblige states to create alternative punishments and to guarantee female-appropriate care in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An estimated 19,000 children live in prison with a parent, usually their mother, while a much larger quantity are divided from their parents. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

Besides the evident parting and related distress that a prison sentence can cause, it is not uncommon for a woman to be deprived of guardianship of her children after just a short time in prison.

Numerous nations allow for babies and young children to live in incarceration centers with their mothers up to a certain age. However, a youth experienced in incarceration can damage a child both bodily and psychologically.