Human trafficking is modern slavery — and it is happening right now, in every region of the world. It steals people’s bodies, futures, and voices, turning human beings into commodities for profit. Freedom means nothing if millions of people can be bought, sold, and exploited in plain sight.

Did You Know?

• An estimated 49.6 million people were living in modern slavery on any given day in 2021 — including forced labor, forced marriage, and sexual exploitation. This is more people trapped in slavery than at any point in recorded history, across virtually every country on earth. (International Labour Organization / Walk Free, Global Slavery Index, 2022)
• Women and girls bear a vastly disproportionate burden — accounting for approximately 54% of all forced labor victims and 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry. Children represent nearly one in five of all trafficking victims globally, with girls making up the overwhelming majority. (ILO / UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 2022)
• Human trafficking generates an estimated $150 billion in illegal profits annually, making it one of the most lucrative criminal enterprises in the world — second only to drug trafficking. The vast majority of profits — approximately $99 billion — come from commercial sexual exploitation. (ILO, 2014 estimates, widely cited)
• Poverty, conflict, and displacement are among the most powerful drivers of trafficking vulnerability. Migrants and refugees — particularly those fleeing war, climate disaster, or economic collapse — are disproportionately targeted by traffickers who exploit desperation, legal precarity, and lack of social protection as recruitment tools. (UNODC / UNHCR)