Women and girls continue to account for the largest share of victims of human trafficking worldwide, with sexual exploitation remaining the leading form of abuse, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30, Anadolu reviewed findings from the UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2024, which highlights a sharp rise in trafficking cases and growing risks linked to conflict, climate change and forced displacement.
Human trafficking, often described as a form of modern slavery, involves the recruitment, transportation or harboring of people through coercion, deception or abuse for the purpose of exploitation, including forced labor, sexual exploitation, forced marriage and criminal activities.
The report found that detected trafficking cases increased by 25% between 2019 and 2022, with the largest rises recorded in sub-Saharan Africa, North America and Western Europe.
UNODC attributed the trend in part to increasing displacement caused by armed conflicts and climate-related disasters, which leave more people vulnerable to exploitation.
Between 2020 and 2023, authorities identified 202,478 trafficking victims worldwide. Children accounted for 38% of all victims, including 22% girls and 16% boys. Among adults, 39% were women and 23% were men.
Women and girls were overwhelmingly trafficked for sexual exploitation, accounting for 64% and 28%, respectively, of victims subjected to that form of abuse. Men and boys each represented 3%.
Forced labor remained the single most common purpose of trafficking overall, affecting 42% of all victims. Adult men accounted for 47% of those cases, followed by adult women (23%), boys (20%) and girls (10%).
According to the report, people from 162 countries were trafficked into 128 destination countries in 2022, with nationals of African countries making up 31% of identified victims.
The report said organized criminal networks remain the main drivers of human trafficking. An analysis of 942 court cases involving 3,121 offenders found that 74% operated as part of a criminal group or network, while 26% acted independently.
Men accounted for 70% of convicted traffickers, while women represented 28%, the report said.
