This brochure highlights the global state of forced labour, key policy responses needed, as well as examples of successes thus far.
Forced labour today: Key facts and figures
Despite global efforts, forced labour has grown in recent years.
28 million people remain trapped in forced labour. Of those:
63% of victims are in forced labour exploitation imposed by private actors. The five most impacted sectors are: services (trade, transport, hospitality), manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and domestic work.
23% of victims are in forced commercial sexual exploitation imposed by private actors. Of these victims, 4 out of 5 are girls or women.
14% of victims are subjected to state-imposed forced labour. Important legal reforms to abolish state-imposed forced labour have been noted in a wide range of countries in recent years. However, reforms to legislation constitute only a first step – real progress depends on translating these reforms into practice, and this in turn depends on the political will to do so.
US$236 billion is the level of illegal annual profit generated from forced labour today. This figure reflects the wages or earnings stolen from the pockets of workers by the perpetrators of forced labour through their coercive practices. The profits from forced labour can incentivize further exploitation, strengthen criminal networks, encourage corruption and undermine the rule of law.
52% of all forced labour is found in upper-middle income or high-income countries. There is a higher prevalence of forced labour in Europe and Central Asia compared to Africa or the Americas. In higher income countries, forced labour is often a result of weak enforcement, gaps in laws, and insufficient political will.
3.3 million children are trapped in forced labour. Over half of these children are exploited in commercial sexual activities. Urgent investment is needed in identification and protection measures. Better information on the numbers of children involved, and on the nature and drivers of the forced labour they are trapped in, is urgently needed to inform responses.
Migrant workers are 3x more at risk of forced labour. This increased risk is often linked to a lack of legal protection, inability to exercise their rights, unfair recruitment practices, irregular and poorly governed migration. National policy and legal frameworks that promote respect for the rights of all migrants at all stages of the migration process, regardless of their migration status, are urgently needed.
Progress must be faster and more comprehensive if we are to meet the ambitious target dates set by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for ending forced labour among children by 2025, and universally by 2030.
