Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Modern slavery worldwide - Statistics & Facts
When hearing the word slavery, many people think of the several millions of slaves transported from Africa to the Americas between the early 1500s and the late 1800s. Even though this form of slavery has been abolished, people continue to be forced into exploitation today, a phenomenon known as modern slavery. Modern slavery refers to people exploited for other people's commercial or private gains. The victims are coerced into modern slavery through a variety of means, including violence and physical and psychological threats. Worldwide, an estimated 50 million people are victims of modern slavery, of which the highest number is found in Asia and the Pacific. However, when looking at the number of victims per 1,000 population, the number is highest in the Arab states.
Over the past decades, awareness around modern slavery has been growing, as have the efforts to combat the phenomenon. Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) helping victims of human trafficking have been founded. Moreover, the legal framework in several countries has improved, making it easier for law enforcement to prosecute perpetrators. Today, western countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands show the strongest response to modern slavery. Nevertheless, modern slavery remains a problem around the world, especially in poor countries that lack the resources to battle modern slavery. Some governments do not have the will to prioritize the problem. In a few countries, for instance North Korea, the state is even actively involved in a system of modern slavery.
Types of modern slavery
Modern slavery comes in different forms, including forced labor, forced marriage, forced commercial sexual exploitation, state-imposed forced labor, and prison labor. In 2021, an estimated 17 million people were victims of forced labor around the world. Moreover, there is a gender difference regarding which industries the victims are forced to work in. Whereas more than 20 percent of male victims are employed in the construction industry, only six percent of women work there. On the other hand, approximately 17 percent of the female victims were doing domestic work, compared to only four percent of men. Sometimes modern slavery is used interchangeably with the concept of human trafficking. There is a difference between the two, however. Human trafficking refers to the forced travel of persons either within or between countries with the purpose of exploiting them for modern slavery.Causes and response
The major factor driving modern slavery is poverty. People who do not make enough to feed themselves and their families are in a vulnerable situation, putting them at risk of modern slavery. This is reflected in the fact that the countries with the highest vulnerability to modern slavery also are some of the countries with the highest poverty rates worldwide. Another factor driving modern slavery is war. People fleeing war-torn regions are at a high risk of being poached by human traffickers and forced into modern slavery.Over the past decades, awareness around modern slavery has been growing, as have the efforts to combat the phenomenon. Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) helping victims of human trafficking have been founded. Moreover, the legal framework in several countries has improved, making it easier for law enforcement to prosecute perpetrators. Today, western countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands show the strongest response to modern slavery. Nevertheless, modern slavery remains a problem around the world, especially in poor countries that lack the resources to battle modern slavery. Some governments do not have the will to prioritize the problem. In a few countries, for instance North Korea, the state is even actively involved in a system of modern slavery.
