In 2023, the number of missing person files in the United States equaled 563,389 cases, an increase from 2021 which had the lowest number of missing person files in the U.S. since 1990.

While the fear of being kidnapped may persist for one’s entire life, in 2022 the number of missing persons under the age of 21 was much higher than those 21 and over, with 206,371 females under 21 reported missing, and 64,956 females over the age of 21 reported missing.

Why people go missing

There are many reasons why people go missing; some are kidnapped, some purposefully go missing - in order to escape abuse, for example - and some, usually children, are runaways. What persists in the imagination when thinking of missing persons, however, are kidnapping victims, usually due to extensive media coverage of child kidnappings by the media.

Demographics of missing persons

While the number of missing persons in the United States fluctuates, in 2021, this number was at its lowest since 1990. Additionally, while it has been observed that there is more media coverage in the United States of white missing persons, almost half of the missing persons cases in 2022 were of minorities.

In 2022, there were 313,017 cases filed by the NCIC where the race of the reported missing was White. In the same year, 18,928 people were missing whose race was unknown.

What is the NCIC?

The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is a digital database that stores crime data for the United States, so criminal justice agencies can access it. As a part of the FBI, it helps criminal justice professionals find criminals, missing people, stolen property, and terrorists. The NCIC database is broken down into 21 files. Seven files belong to stolen property and items, and 14 belong to persons, including the National Sex Offender Register, Missing Person, and Identify Theft. It works alongside federal, tribal, state, and local agencies. The NCIC’s goal is to maintain a centralized information system between local branches and offices, so information is easily accessible nationwide.

Missing people in the United States

A person is considered missing when they have disappeared and their location is unknown. A person who is considered missing might have left voluntarily, but that is not always the case. The number of the NCIC unidentified person files in the United States has fluctuated since 1990, and in 2022, there were slightly more NCIC missing person files for males as compared to females. Fortunately, the number of NCIC missing person files has been mostly decreasing since 1998.

In 2023 alone, ****** persons have been reported as missing in Mexico, a figure that implies about ** people going missing every day. The volume of these incidents soared after Felipe Calderon's government declared the war on drugs in December 2006, an event that marked a surged in violence throughout the Latin American country.

Since 1952, more than 300,000 persons have been reported as missing in Mexico. About 65 percent of them have been found, either alive or dead. In 2023 alone, there were almost 30,000 reports of people missing in the North American country.

NamUs is the only national repository for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons cases. The program provides a singular resource hub for law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners, and investigating professionals. It is the only national database for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons that allows limited access to the public, empowering family members to take a more proactive role in the search for their missing loved ones.

Comprehensive dataset of 68 Missing persons organizations in United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

The number of people who were reported as missing in Colombia has been oscillating throughout recent years. In 2021, the South American country's authorities registered a total of ***** people missing, up from ***** people reported a year earlier.Moreover, the number of cases of interpersonal violence in Colombia has also been oscillating lately.

Comprehensive dataset of 2 Missing persons organizations in Washington, United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

Comprehensive dataset of 1 Missing persons organizations in Michigan, United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

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The average for 2017 based on 65 countries was 1.8 kidnappings per 100,000 people. The highest value was in Belgium: 10.3 kidnappings per 100,000 people and the lowest value was in Bermuda: 0 kidnappings per 100,000 people. The indicator is available from 2003 to 2017. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The Mississippi Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons (MS Repository) was developed in January 2022 to help identify, resolve, and archive Mississippi’s missing and unidentified persons cases. The MS Repository, housed at Mississippi State University, serves as a statewide missing and unidentified persons clearinghouse database. The MS Repository is under the purview of the Cobb Institute of Archaeology (including the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures) and the MSU Police Department (MSUPD). In collaboration with law enforcement agencies throughout the state, the goals of the MS Repository are to:1. Provide a centralized location for data on missing and unidentified persons from Mississippi2. Increase missing persons public access for all Mississippians3. Visualize socioeconomic and medicolegal disparities affecting missing persons through geospatial analysis4. Partner with neighboring states to facilitate data sharing of missing and unidentified persons information.The lack of comprehensive missing and unidentified persons repository data at the state and national levels continues to hinder identifying missing and unidentified people. The MS Repository is the only secure, formalized, searchable Mississippi data repository for unidentified and missing persons information. It includes missing and unidentified persons information from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS), law enforcement missing persons reports on social media, cases from non-profit missing persons advocacy groups, and reports from families with missing loved ones. Like NamUS, the MS Repository provides demographic information about the missing individual and case circumstances, including last seen date and location. Each profile has a built-in capacity for holding copies of medical records and DNA records results (including family reference samples). All profiles (current and resolved) are stored electronically and available in perpetuity, regardless of case status. In addition to the database, there is a searchable clearinghouse website accessible to the public (missinginms.msstate.edu).

Comprehensive dataset of 2 Missing persons organizations in North Carolina, United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

Comprehensive dataset of 1 Missing persons organizations in Hawaii, United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

Comprehensive dataset of 1 Missing persons organizations in Colorado, United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

Comprehensive dataset of 1 Missing persons organizations in New Jersey, United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.

This dataset contains descriptions of unidentified remains whose cases have been processed by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Call 312-666-0500 to speak to Deputy Chief Investigator, Earl Briggs, about matching one of these unidentified bodies to the identity of a missing person. Descriptions of cases can also be found at NAMUS.gov

Please note that images posted in this section may be graphic in nature and may not be appropriate for all users.

Goal 11Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainableTarget 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slumsIndicator 11.1.1: Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housingEN_LND_SLUM: Proportion of urban population living in slums (%)Target 11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older personsIndicator 11.2.1: Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age and persons with disabilitiesTarget 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countriesIndicator 11.3.1: Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rateIndicator 11.3.2: Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democraticallyTarget 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritageIndicator 11.4.1: Total per capita expenditure on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by source of funding (public, private), type of heritage (cultural, natural) and level of government (national, regional, and local/municipal)Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situationsIndicator 11.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 populationVC_DSR_MISS: Number of missing persons due to disaster (number)VC_DSR_AFFCT: Number of people affected by disaster (number)VC_DSR_MORT: Number of deaths due to disaster (number)VC_DSR_MTMP: Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (number)VC_DSR_MMHN: Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_DAFF: Number of directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (number)VC_DSR_IJILN: Number of injured or ill people attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_PDAN: Number of people whose damaged dwellings were attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_PDYN: Number of people whose destroyed dwellings were attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_PDLN: Number of people whose livelihoods were disrupted or destroyed, attributed to disasters (number)Indicator 11.5.2: Direct economic loss in relation to global GDP, damage to critical infrastructure and number of disruptions to basic services, attributed to disastersVC_DSR_GDPLS: Direct economic loss attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)VC_DSR_LSGP: Direct economic loss attributed to disasters relative to GDP (%)VC_DSR_AGLH: Direct agriculture loss attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)VC_DSR_HOLH: Direct economic loss in the housing sector attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)VC_DSR_CILN: Direct economic loss resulting from damaged or destroyed critical infrastructure attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)VC_DSR_CHLN: Direct economic loss to cultural heritage damaged or destroyed attributed to disasters (millions of current United States dollars)VC_DSR_CDAN: Number of damaged critical infrastructure attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_HFDN: Number of destroyed or damaged health facilities attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_EFDN: Number of destroyed or damaged educational facilities attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_CDYN: Number of other destroyed or damaged critical infrastructure units and facilities attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_BSDN: Number of disruptions to basic services attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_ESDN: Number of disruptions to educational services attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_HSDN: Number of disruptions to health services attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_OBDN: Number of disruptions to other basic services attributed to disasters (number)VC_DSR_DDPA: Direct economic loss to other damaged or destroyed productive assets attributed to disasters (current United States dollars)Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste managementIndicator 11.6.1: Proportion of municipal solid waste collected and managed in controlled facilities out of total municipal waste generated, by citiesEN_REF_WASCOL: Municipal Solid Waste collection coverage, by cities (%)Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)EN_ATM_PM25: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter in cities, urban population (micrograms per cubic meter)Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilitiesIndicator 11.7.1: Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilitiesIndicator 11.7.2: Proportion of persons victim of physical or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status and place of occurrence, in the previous 12 monthsTarget 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planningIndicator 11.a.1: Number of countries that have national urban policies or regional development plans that (a) respond to population dynamics; (b) ensure balanced territorial development; and (c) increase local fiscal spaceSD_CPA_UPRDP: Countries that have national urban policies or regional development plans that respond to population dynamics; ensure balanced territorial development; and increase local fiscal space (1 = YES; 0 = NO)Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levelsIndicator 11.b.1: Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030SG_DSR_LGRGSR: Score of adoption and implementation of national DRR strategies in line with the Sendai FrameworkSG_DSR_SFDRR: Number of countries that reported having a National DRR Strategy which is aligned to the Sendai FrameworkIndicator 11.b.2: Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategiesSG_DSR_SILS: Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies (%)SG_DSR_SILN: Number of local governments that adopt and implement local DRR strategies in line with national strategies (number)SG_GOV_LOGV: Number of local governments (number)Target 11.c: Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

Comprehensive dataset of 6 Missing persons organizations in Pennsylvania, United States as of July, 2025. Includes verified contact information (email, phone), geocoded addresses, customer ratings, reviews, business categories, and operational details. Perfect for market research, lead generation, competitive analysis, and business intelligence. Download a complimentary sample to evaluate data quality and completeness.