The 2021 Global Estimates indicate there are 49.6 million people living in situations of modern slavery on any given day. They are either forced to work against their will or forced into a marriage. The Global Slavery Index was released by the human rights organization Walk Free.
Forced Labour or Forced Marriage
Forced labour accounts for 27.6 million of those in modern slavery and forced marriage for 22 million. Nearly one of every 150 people in the world is in the vicious trap of modern slavery. The problem is getting worse. The number of people in modern slavery has risen significantly in the last five years. 10 million more people were in modern slavery in 2021 compared to 2016 global estimates. Women and children remain disproportionately vulnerable.
The estimates also indicate that situations of modern slavery are by no means transient. Entrapment in forced labor can last years, while in most cases forced marriage is a life sentence. Modern slavery occurs in almost every country in the world, and cuts across ethnic, cultural, and religious lines.
The COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts, and climate change- in recent years have led to unprecedented disruption to employment, increases in extreme poverty, and forced and unsafe migration. Together it serves to heighten the risk of all forms of modern slavery. Those who are already in situations of greatest vulnerability are most affected.
FORCED LABOUR
Most cases of forced labor (86 percent) are in the private sector. Commercial sexual exploitation accounts for 63 percent of all forced labor, while forced commercial sexual exploitation represents 23 percent of all forced labor. Almost four out of five of those in forced commercial sexual exploitation are women or girls. State-imposed forced labor accounts for 14 percent of people in forced labor.
Almost one in eight of those in forced labor are children (3.3 million). More than half of these are in commercial sexual exploitation.
FORCED MARRIAGE
An estimated 22 million people were living in forced marriage on any given day in 2021. This indicates an increase of 6.6 million since the 2016 global estimates. The true incidence of forced marriage, particularly involving children aged 16 and younger, is likely far greater than current estimates. The overwhelming majority of forced marriages (more than 85 percent) were driven by family pressure.
Forced marriage is highest in the Arab States, with 4.8 people out of every 1,000 in this region.
Where is slavery most common?
North Kores (104.6 people per 1,000 population), Eritrea (90.3), and Mauritania (32) have the highest number of modern slavery victims. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait were also among the top 10. According to the report, there are 11 million people who are exploited in India, 5 million in China, and 1.8 million in Russia.
