The average population in custody during 1999 was 64,770, a reduction of 1 percent from 1998, the year in which the average prison population had been greater than in any previous year. In the first quarter of 1999 the prison population was decreasing, down from 64,830 at the end of January to 64,210 at the end of March. The reduction is explained by the introduction of Home Detention Curfew. The average remand population for 1999 was 12,520, little changed from 1998. The sentenced population declined by 1 percent between 1998 and 1999, from an average of 52,180 to 51,690. Between 1998 and 1999, female inmates increased in number by 50 percent, from an average 3,110 to 3,250. Between 1998 and 1999 there were increases in the number of males serving sentences for drug offenses, sex offenses, burglary, and motoring offenses. There were reductions in the number of males serving sentences for robbery, violence against the person, fraud, forgery, theft, and "handling." In the 10 years since 1989, longer sentence prisoners (over 4 years) have tended to increase as a proportion of all sentenced prisoners, increasing from 32 percent of all inmates in 1989 to 40 percent in 1999. In England and Wales, there were 125 prisoners for every 100,000 members of the general population in 1999. This was the second highest among western European countries. Russia and the United States have the highest rates in the world, some six times higher than those in western Europe, Canada, and Australia. Extensive tables and figures