The line graphs present the data on male and female prison populations in European country from 1911 to 2001
Overall, it is clear that the number of prisoners in both genders exhibited some fluctuations over the period, while female prisoners witnessed a downward trend, that data on male experienced an escalation, which was observed in the latter part of the 20th century.
Having commenced at nearly 20000, the figure for male prisoners remained stably in the next 10 years before plummed to nearly a half in 1931. From this point to 1971, the population showed a moderate growth, bouncing back at nearly 20000 in 1971. However, the post-1971 marked a significant ascendant, with the number of male prisoners skyrocketed to nearly twofolds, with around 40000 by 2001.
Conversly, the female prison population had a different trend. The figure innitiated with the peak of just over 3000, then it slumped drastically before hit the trough of just around 500 in 1941. From this year, the prison population witnessed a gradual increase to nearly 1200. However, mirroring the same pattern as the male, there was a surge in the female prisoner number from 1971 onwards, which reached roughly 2,500 in 2001.