Worldwide Women Incarceration Data and Death Row Figures

Current Global Female Prison Inmates

More than 733,000 women and girls are confined in prison systems worldwide, as reported by recent research studies. This number includes both pre-trial detainees and those who have been convicted and sentenced. Experts believe the actual total is much greater due to unavailable statistics from numerous countries.

Female inmates generally account for a limited percentage of overall inmate numbers – typically between 2-9% on average. Presently, women and girls account for approximately 6.8% of the international inmate count. However, their population is growing at a more rapid tempo than male prisoners.

Over the past two decades, the number of women and girls in prison has expanded by approximately 60 percent – roughly triple the growth observed in the male inmate numbers. The global female prison population increased by more than 100,000 individuals during the ten-year period ending in 2020.

Main Causes Behind the Rise

Women's lawbreaking are frequently linked to poverty and usually serve as a way to support themselves to care for their dependents.

Extensive studies has found that regulations typically outlaw basic sustenance activities and that women are unfairly targeted because they are more commonly found among the most impoverished segments of society. In many countries, laws penalizing 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 secure bail.

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 unknown number of women and girls in pre-trial detention and "administrative detention". 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 England and Wales, there are 3,566 women in prison – representing 4% of the complete incarceration statistics. Forecasts show these numbers are predicted to increase to 4,200 by 2027. Across Europe, 94,472 women are currently detained, while Australia reports 3,473 women in prison, representing approximately 8% of its overall inmate demographic.

States with Major Growth in Women Inmate Numbers

Although including typical population expansion over the past 25 years, the surge in the number of female prisoners per 100,000 people still shows a substantial rise. These two nations have experienced increases exceeding 600%, while Indonesia and Turkey have seen more than fivefold rises.

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 nations that put to death the most women are also the countries that perform the highest number of executions in general, including China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Based on latest reports, an uncertain quantity 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 countries that execute the most or for additional countries including North Korea, Vietnam and Qatar. However, 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 compulsory capital punishment for murder, or that refuse to consider gender-based violence as lessening conditions, are prone to exhibit higher numbers of women on death row and more executions.

Additionally, countries that severely criminalize drug trafficking, such as those in the Middle East and Asian southeast, have a substantial ratio of women on death row.

Suitability of Incarceration for Females

Various professionals and campaigners argue that prison is not a suitable punishment for a substantial percentage of women who violate regulations. Most are incarcerated for peaceful violations; in the UK, for example, 72% of female prison admissions in 2020 fit this category. Women commonly face a "cyclical pattern 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 overall public, as reported by the World Health Organization.

In reaction to growing statistics of imprisoned females and a deficiency of regulations considering their circumstances, the International Women Prisoner Standards (known as the Bangkok Rules) were adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2010. These rules oblige states to develop non-custodial sanctions and to ensure gender-sensitive treatment in prisons.

Children of Female Prisoners

An calculated 19,000 children dwell in incarceration centers with a parent, usually their mother, while many times that number are divided from their parents. Approximately 1.45 million children worldwide have a mother in prison.

Besides the obvious separation and connected hardship that a prison sentence can cause, it is not uncommon for a woman to lose custody 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 certain age. Nevertheless, a early life in correctional facilities can negatively affect a minor both in health and mental state.