Overview

• An estimated 12.3 million children—one in four modern slavery victims—are trapped in forced marriages, sexual exploitation, forced labor or state-imposed work.
• Minor trafficking rose 31% between 2019 and 2022, with under-18s accounting for 38% of recorded victims last year.
• Girls constitute 57% of child slavery victims—60% of whom endure sexual exploitation—while boys are mainly subjected to forced labor.
• Criminal networks are exploiting social media, apps, livestreaming and AI to recruit, groom and control children remotely in emerging e-trafficking schemes.
• Save the Children calls for immediate, coordinated interventions among governments, law enforcement and civil society to identify, protect and rehabilitate young victims.