Between 2003 and 2022, women were the majority of sex trafficking victims in almost every world region. In Southern Europe, ** percent of people forced to engage in sex against their will were women. Australia and New Zealand was the only region where men constituted a larger share of sex trafficking victims, with ** percent.

In 2023, the highest number of victims of human trafficking was found in South and Central Asia, reaching an estimated **** million victims. The second highest number of victims was found in Europe. Reporting on human trafficking varies from year to year due to the nature of the crime.

This study was a response to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act passed by Congress in 2005, which called for a collection of data; a comprehensive statistical review and analysis of human trafficking data; and a biennial report to Congress on sex trafficking and unlawful commercial sex acts. It examined the human trafficking experiences (and to a lesser extent commercial sex acts) among a random sample of 60 counties across the United States. In contrast to prior research that had examined the issue from a federal perspective, this study examined experiences with human trafficking at the local level across the United States. The specific aims of the research were to: Identify victims and potential victims of domestic labor and sex trafficking; Determine whether they have been identified as victims by law enforcement; and Explore differences between sex trafficking and unlawful commercial sex. To achieve these goals the researchers collected data through telephone interviews with local law enforcement, prosecutors, and service providers; a mail-out statistical survey completed by knowledgeable officials in those jurisdictions; and an examination of case files in four local communities. This latter effort consisted of reviewing incident and arrest reports and charging documents for a variety of offenses that might have involved criminal conduct with characteristics of human trafficking. Through this method, the researchers not only gained a sense of how local authorities handled these types of cases but also the ways in which trafficking victims "fall through the cracks" in the interfaces between local and federal judicial systems as well as among local, state, and federal law enforcement and social service systems.

This research project developed and fully documented a method to estimate the number of females and males trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation from eight countries (Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela) into the United States at the Southwest border. The model utilizes only open source data. This research represents the first phase of a two-phase project and Provides a conceptual framework for identifying potential data sources to estimate the number of victims at different stages in traffickingDevelops statistical models to estimate the number of males and females at risk of being trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation from the eight countries, and the number of males and females actually trafficked for sex and laborIncorporates into the estimation models the transit journey of trafficking victims from the eight countries to the southwest border of the United StatesDesigns the estimation models such that they are highly flexible and modular so that they can evolve as the body of data expands Utilizes open source data as inputs to the statistical model, making the model accessible to anyone interested in using itPresents preliminary estimates that illustrate the use of the statistical methodsIlluminates gaps in data sources. The data included in this collection are the open source data which were primarily used in the models to estimate the number of males and females at risk of being trafficked.

In 2023, *** women and girls were victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Spain. Female victims represented more than ** percent of the victims in that year, and **** of the recorded victims were children.

This statistic illustrates the number of sex trafficking survivors in the United States in 2019, by the age they were at the time trafficking began. In that year, *** sex trafficking survivors reported being between the ages of ** and ** when they were first trafficked.

The exact age at the time the trafficking began is known for only **** percent of the trafficking victims and survivors identified in 2019.

These data consist of information on identified and reported victims of human trafficking. There are 63 variables that capture information on the socio-demographic profile of victims (such as gender or age), the trafficking process (such as means of control used on the victims), and the type of exploitation.

Column description can be found in the attached pdf file.

Original Data

Acknowlegement

Foto von Michael Jin auf Unsplash

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed. This study examined life histories and experiences of individuals involved in the sex trade in New York City. Also interviewed were twenty-eight criminal justice policymakers, practitioners, and community representatives affiliated with New York City's Human Trafficking Intervention Courts (HTICs). The collection contains 1 SPSS data file (Final-Quantitative-Data-resubmission.sav (n=304; 218 variables)). Demographic variables include gender, age, race, ethnicity, education level, citizenship status, current housing, family size, sexual orientation, and respondent's place of birth.

The purpose of the study was to explore how local law enforcement were responding to the crime of human trafficking after the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000. The first phase of the study (Part 1, Law Enforcement Interview Quantitative Data) involved conducting telephone surveys with 121 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials in key cities across the country between August and November of 2005. Different versions of the telephone survey were created for the key categories of law enforcement targeted by this study (state/local investigators, police offices, victim witness coordinators, and federal agents). The telephone surveys were supplemented with interviews from law enforcement supervisors/managers, representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Human Trafficking/Smuggling Office, the United States Attorney's Office, the Trafficking in Persons Office, and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. Respondents were asked about their history of working human trafficking cases, knowledge of human trafficking, and familiarity with the TVPA. Other variables include the type of trafficking victims encountered, how human trafficking cases were identified, and the law enforcement agency's capability to address the issue of trafficking. The respondents were also asked about the challenges and barriers to investigating human trafficking cases and to providing services to the victims. In the second phase of the study (Part 2, Case File Review Qualitative Data) researchers collected comprehensive case information from sources such as case reports, sanitized court reports, legal newspapers, magazines, and newsletters, as well as law review articles. This case review examined nine prosecuted cases of human trafficking since the passage of the TVPA. The research team conducted an assessment of each case focusing on four core components: identifying the facts, defining the problem, identifying the rule to the facts (e.g., in light of the rule, how law enforcement approached the situation), and conclusion.

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed. This study includes data that was used to investigate the effect of legislative and judicial factors on system responses to sex trafficking of minors (STM) in metropolitan and non-metropolitan communities. To accomplish this, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of the immunity, protection, and rehabilitative elements of a state safe harbor law. This project was undertaken as a response to a growing push to pass state safe harbor laws to align governmental and community responses to the reframing of the issue of sex trafficking of minors that was ushered in with the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). This collection includes 4 SPSS files, 3 Excel data files, and 2 SPSS Syntax files: Child-Welfare-Human-Trafficking-Reports-2013-2017-data.xlsx Judicial-Interview-De-identified-Quantitative-Data-for-NACJD_REV_Oct2018.sav (n=82; 36 variables) Judicial-online-survey-data-for-NACJD_REV_Dec2018.sav (n=55; 77 variables) Juvenile-Justice-Screening-for-HT-2015-MU-MU-0009.xlsx Post-implementation-survey-data-for-NACJD_REV_Dec2018.sav (n=365; 1029 variables) Pre-implementation-survey-data-for-NACJD_REV_Dec2018.sav (n=323; 159 variables) Recode-syntax-for-pre-implementation-survey-for-NACJD.sps Statewide-juvenile-court-charges-2015-MU-MU-0009-to-NACJD.xlsx Syntax-for-post-implementation-survey-data-to-NACJD.sps Qualitative data from judicial interviews and agency open-ended responses to Post-Implementation of the Safe Harbor Law Survey are not available as part of this collection.

Context

Human trafficking is thought to be one of the fastest-growing activities of trans-national criminal organizations. It is defined as the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. Human trafficking is condemned as a violation of human rights by international conventions. (Source: Wikipedia)

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is a framework for identifying victims of human trafficking and ensuring they receive the appropriate protection and support. The NRM is also the mechanism through which the UKHTC collects data about victims. This information contributes to building a clearer picture about the scope of human trafficking in the UK.

The NRM was introduced in 2009 to meet the UK’s obligations under the Council of European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. At the core of every country’s NRM is the process of locating and identifying potential victims of trafficking.

Content

For years 2013 to 2016, the following tables are available:

• YEAR_competent_authority.csv

• YEAR_country_of_referral.csv

• YEAR_exploitation_type.csv

• YEAR_referrals_adult.csv

• YEAR_referrals_all.csv

• YEAR_referrals_minor.csv

• YEAR_referring_agency.csv

For 2015 to 2016, there is an additional table:

• YEAR_decision_data.csv

Acknowledgements

Data obtained from UK National Crime Agency, National Referral Mechanism Statistics end of year summary reports (2013 - 2016). Human Trafficking data reports are provided under Publications section of the UK National Crime Agency website. Data tables were extracted from pdf reports with Tabula.

Licensed under Open Government License

Photo by Pedro Gabriel Miziara on Unsplash

What is the Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative?

The Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative is the first global data hub on human trafficking, publishing harmonized data from counter-trafficking organizations around the world. Launched in November 2017, the goal of CTDC is to break down information-sharing barriers and equip the counter-trafficking community with up to date, reliable data on human trafficking.

The global victim of trafficking dataset

The CTDC global victim of trafficking dataset is the largest of its kind in the world, and currently exists in two forms. The data are based on case management data, gathered from identified cases of human trafficking, disaggregated at the level of the individual. The cases are recorded in a case management system during the provision of protection and assistance services, or are logged when individuals contact a counter-trafficking hotline. The number of observations in the dataset increases as new records are added by the contributing organizations. The global victim of trafficking dataset that is available to download from the website in csv format has been mathematically anonymized, and the complete, non k-anonymized version of the dataset is displayed throughout the website through visualizations and charts showing detailed analysis.

Where do the data come from?

The data come from a variety of sources. The data featured in the global victim of trafficking dataset come from the assistance activities of the contributing organizations, including from case management services and from counter-trafficking hotline logs.

How are the global datasets created?

Each dataset has been created through a process of comparing and harmonizing existing data models of contributing partners and data classification systems. Initial areas of compatibility were identified to create a unified system for organizing and mapping data to a single standard. Each contributing organization transforms its data to this shared standard and any identifying information is removed before the datasets are made available.

How is the individual-level data protected?

Step 1

Counter-trafficking case data contains highly sensitive information, and maintaining privacy and confidentiality is of paramount importance for CTDC. For example, all explicit identifiers, such as names, were removed from the global victim dataset and some data such as age has been transformed into age ranges. No personally identifying information is transferred to or hosted by CTDC, and organizations that want to contribute are asked to anonymize in accordance to the standards set by CTDC.

Step 2

In addition to the safeguard measures outlined in step 1 the global victim dataset has been anonymized to a higher level, through a mathematical approach called k-anonymization. For a full description of k-anonymization, please refer to the definitions page.

IOM collects and processes data in accordance to its own Data Protection Policy. The other contributors adhere to relevant national and international standards through their policies for collecting and processing personal data.

How to interpret the data?

These data reflect the victims assisted/identified/referred/reported to the contributing organizations, which may not represent all victims identified within a country. Nevertheless, the larger the sample size for a given country (or, the more victims displayed on the map for a given country), the more representative the data are likely to be of the identified victim of trafficking population.

A larger number of identified victims of trafficking does not imply that there is a larger number of undetected victims of trafficking (i.e. a higher prevalence of trafficking).

In addition, samples of identified victims of trafficking cannot be considered random samples of the wider population of victims of trafficking (which includes unidentified victims), since counter-trafficking agencies may be more likely to identify some trafficking cases rather than others. However, with this caveat in mind, the profile of identified victims of trafficking tends to be considered as indicative of the profile of the wider population, given that the availability of other data sources is close to zero.

How does human trafficking case data relate to prevalence data?

There are currently no global or regional estimates of the prevalence of human trafficking. National estimates have been conducted in a few countries but they are also based on modelling of existing administrative data from identified cases and should therefore only be considered as basic baseline estimates. Historically, producing estimates of the prevalence of trafficking based on the collection of new primary data through surveys, for example, has been difficult. This is due to trafficking’s complicated legal definition and the challenges of a...

In 2023, a total of ******* victims of human trafficking were identified worldwide, the highest figure recorded during the observed period and an increase of over ****** compared to the previous year. The number of identified victims has risen sharply over the past decade, reflecting a troubling global trend.

In 2021, ***** cases of human trafficking involving minors were reported to the National Human Trafficking hotline in the United States. *** cases reported to the hotline in that year involved foreign nationals.

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is a framework for identifying victims of human trafficking and ensuring they receive the appropriate protection and support. The NRM is also the mechanism through which the UKHTC collects data about victims. This information contributes to building a clearer picture about the scope of human trafficking in the UK. The NRM was introduced in 2009 to meet the UK’s obligations under the Council of European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. At the core of every country’s NRM is the process of locating and identifying “potential victims of trafficking” (PVoT). The NRM grants a minimum 45-day reflection and recovery period for victims of human trafficking. Trained case owners decide whether individuals referred to them should be considered to be victims of trafficking according to the definition in the Council of Europe Convention.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Lake County Sex Trafficking Task Force

2014 Human Trafficking Sources Statistics - filtered to reflect Sex and Child trafficking derived from data served out by the University of Montana.Achievement Standard 91433.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of People Against Sex Trafficking Incorporated

The study examined human trafficking and the commercialized sex industry in Tijuana, Mexico. The research team conducted interviews with 220 women from the sex industry (Dataset 1), 92 sex trade facilitators (Dataset 2), 30 government/law enforcement officials (Dataset 3), and 20 community-based service providers (Dataset 4).

Series Name: Detected victims of human trafficking for forced labour servitude and slavery by age and sex (number)Series Code: VC_HTF_DETVFLRelease Version: 2021.Q2.G.03 This dataset is part of the Global SDG Indicator Database compiled through the UN System in preparation for the Secretary-General's annual report on Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.Indicator 16.2.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age and form of exploitationTarget 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of childrenGoal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levelsFor more information on the compilation methodology of this dataset, see https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/