Modern slavery facts

There are estimated 40.3 million people in modern slavery around the world.

• 10 million children
• 24.9 million people in forced labour
• 15.4 million people in forced marriage
• 4.8 million people in forced sexual exploitation.

The numbers sum up to more than 40 million as some people are in more than one type of slavery.

Profits from slave labor

The International Labor Organization estimates that forced labor generated USD $150 billion in illegal profits every year.

The industries where slave labor is used include:

• Agriculture and fishing
• Construction
• Mining
• Manufacturing
• Prostitution and sexual exploitation

Modern day slaves produce some of our everyday products

Some of the products you buy could have been made using slave labor. Slavery has been linked to a large number of different products including coffee, chocolate, soy beans, clothing, sugar, nuts, footwear, toys, electronics, gold, diamonds, palm oil, timber, fish.

Working threat of violence

Slaves work under horrific conditions up to 20 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

Modern slaves are cheap

Historically, human slaves were always expensive - around 40,000 US dollars in today’s money. Today, the average slave only costs around 90 dollars meaning that these people often are seen as disposable inputs for production.

Big business: Modern day slavery is a crime on a massive scale

Slavery is the third most profitable global crime only surpassed by counterfeiting and drug traffiking. The top ten:

1. Counterfeiting: $923 billion to $1.13 trillion
2. Drug Trafficking: $426-652 billion
3. Human Trafficking: $150.2 billion
4. Illegal Logging: $52-157 billion
5. Illegal Mining: $12-48 billion
6. Illegal Fishing: $15.5-36.4 billion
7. Illegal Wildlife Trade: $5-23 billion
8. Crude Oil Theft: $5.2-11.9 billion
9. Weapons Trafficking: $1.7-3.5 billion
10. Organ Trafficking: $840 million to $1.7 billion

Can modern day slavery be stopped?

The UN Sustainable Development Targets include ending forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking by 2030. It will require huge efforts to reach this goal.

As a consumer you can make sure to buy fair trade products produced under fair social and environmental standards without slave or child labor.