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Human trafficking is a worldwide epidemic. According to the Migration Data Portal, over 50 million people are victims of human trafficking. It is a severely under-reported crime and, accordingly, also under-prosecuted for its perpetrators. Approximately 60% of all victims are trafficked domestically, but many of its victims are from low-income countries, sent to high-income nations. Cross-border trafficking often occurs in the same region. The majority of human trafficking victims are from Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. It is one of the most profitable industries in the world with little repercussions due to its exploitative and underground criminal nature.
In this gallery, we outline the 25 countries with the highest rates of human trafficking. You’ll be surprised which nations are harboring this illegal crime network. Click on to read more.
Escaping from human trafficking is extremely difficult. Perpetrators often use violence or threats of violence to control victims. Pictured is a walkathon event in Nepal.
Victims often have no access to their passports or any other official documents, leaving them prey to the will of their traffickers.
Nearly 40% of human trafficking victims are used for sexual exploitation, consisting of mainly women and girls. Pictured are human trafficking survivors rescued by Indonesian authorities, whose faces are partially covered for their protection; among them a 14-year-old girl.
Another 40% of human trafficking victims are forced laborers. They often work in contexts with harsh manual labor for little to no pay. Pictured is a former domestic worker and survivor of human trafficking from Sierra Leone in Beirut, Lebanon. Many domestic workers come to Lebanon with the promise of a steady job, but are instead stripped of their documents upon arrived and forced into a life of violent, domestic servitude.
The remaining victims are forced into domestic servitude. Some are victims of organ trafficking. Others are sold into marriage or drug trafficking. Pictured is a trial in Costa Rica against a network of doctors who were buying kidneys from poor people and sending them for transplants in Israel.
The Dominican Republic has the 25th highest rate of human trafficking in the world. According to the International Justice Mission, one in every 10 individuals is engaged in commercial sex exploitation in the country. Pictured are perpetrators of a large crime ring to face trial in the Dominican Republic after 80 women, primarily from Colombia and Venezuela, were rescued in a police operation.
Azerbaijan is the 24th nation with the most human trafficking in the world. According to the US State Department, it has long been a transit country for victims of human trafficking from Central Asia to countries like Iran and Turkey.
Mexico ranks 23rd. According to the Organization of American States, Mexico has approximately 50 known criminal organizations conducting human trafficking in the country.
Malaysia is not only a destination country, but also a major transit and source country for victims of human trafficking. It is the nation with the 22nd highest rates of human trafficking in the world. Pictured are six survivors of human trafficking who were rescued from Myanmar and returned to Malaysia. Authorities estimate that there are at least 1,000 Malaysian human trafficking victims in Myanmar.
Thailand is both a destination and transit country for human trafficking perpetrators. It is also a source of victims who are taken elsewhere in the world. The nation ranks 21st on the list. Pictured are children at the Human Development Foundation - Mercy Centre in Bangkok, a center for children who have been victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
The nation with the 20th highest rate of human trafficking in the world is Greece. Due to its geographical location, it is often used as a transit country for cross-border traffickers, but it is also a destination country for many of its victims. Pictured is a protest in Greece on behalf of a 12-year-old girl who was rescued after being trafficked and sexually abused.
Albania is the 19th biggest nation in terms of human trafficking rates. According to the UK government, many Albanian traffickers are actually victims’ family members. Pictured is Klodian Memoali, one of 11 Albanians who were arrested in 2004 for running a human trafficking ring between Albania and France.
Morocco ranks 18th on the list. Sub-Saharan women are particularly at risk of ending up in Morocco for sexual exploitation. Pictured is an International Workers' Day march held in Morocco's capital city, Rabat, which included several groups explicitly addressing human trafficking in the country.
The nation with the 17th highest ranking is Guyana. The small, South American nations’ victims are often used for sexual exploitation. Pictured is Sophie Charles, President of the Community of Municipalities of Western Guyana, expressing concern over insecurity in the country due to human trafficking.
Colombian women are at a high risk of becoming human trafficking victims. In 2024, a criminal investigation was able to prosecute a criminal network conducting these crimes. The nation ranks 16th on the list.
The nation with the 15th highest rate of human trafficking is Spain. In February 2025, Spanish police uncovered a massive criminal ring responsible for trafficking 1,000 women to the country in 2024 alone.
Finland ranks 14th on the list. Victims who end up in the Northern European nation are disproportionately forced into marriages. Other victims are compelled into forced labor.
The nation with the 13th highest rate of human trafficking in the world is Uzbekistan. Victims are primarily trafficked for the purpose of forced manual labor in the agricultural industry.
Egypt ranks 12th on the list. Egyptian children are particularly at risk of being subjected to sexual and labor exploitation. Pictured is real estate tycoon Mohamed el-Amin who was arrested over trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.
Canada, ranking 11th on the list, is a major destination and transit nation for human trafficking victims, the majority of whom are women and girls. Over 90% of victims that were identified in the country reported that they had been trafficked by someone they knew. Pictured is a survivor of human trafficking during a demonstration held in Alberta, Canada. Although indigenous people represent 4% of the nation's population, they make up 97% of all human trafficking victims in the country.
Turkey has the 10th highest rate of human trafficking in the world. Because of its geographical location, human traffickers often exploit desperate refugees and migrants. Pictured is a suspect of human trafficking, arrested after a group of migrants drowned in the Aegean Sea.
Ranking ninth on the list is Guatemala. The majority of human trafficking victims from Guatemala are underage girls. Pictured is the alleged leader of an extensive human trafficking network between Guatemala and the US.
The nation with the eighth-highest rate is Bulgaria. The Balkan nation is a primary source site in Europe, primarily targeting those from poorer areas of the country.
The country with the seventh-highest rate of human trafficking in the world is Romania. According to the organization Dorcas, children represent over one-third of human trafficking victims in the Eastern European nation. Pictured is controversial British-American influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate were, who were arrested in Bucharest after being accused of human trafficking.
Ranking sixth is the Southern American nation of Peru. Children and men make up the largest chunk of victims in the country, primarily used for sexual and labor exploitation. Pictured is the arrest of Abner Bryan Rojas Borja by the Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants Division of the Peruvian National Police. A 16-year-old victim of human trafficking was rescued in this operation.
The nation with the fifth-highest human trafficking rates in the world is Italy. The country is a major destination, primarily for victims faced with forced labor and sexual exploitation.
Ranking fourth on the list is Madagascar. The nation is a key source site for victims. Women and children are especially at risk of being trafficked. Pictured is a child who lived at an adoption center that was uncovered as a human trafficking ring in which Madagascan children were trafficked to France for adoption.
The nation with the third-highest rates is Argentina. The South American nation has a high number of trafficked people working in agricultural and domestic forced labor.
The nation with the second-highest rate of human trafficking in the world is Nigeria. The nation is a major source country for victim aggregation, but it is also a transit and destination country. Pictured is a woman standing trial in Germany, accused of trafficking women from Nigeria for sexual exploitation.
The nation with the highest rates of human trafficking in the world is the United States. A great deal of regional and domestic trafficking takes place in the country, with the majority of victims used for labor and sexual exploitation purposes.
Sources: (Migration Data Portal) (United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime) (International Justice Mission) (US Department of State) (Organization of American States) (GOV.UK) (Reuters) (Valtioneuvosto) (Public Safety Canada) (CEJIL) (World Population Review)
Countries with the highest rates of human trafficking
Millions in the world are forced into modern slavery
LIFESTYLE Crime
Human trafficking is a worldwide epidemic. According to the Migration Data Portal, there are over 50 million victims of human trafficking in the world. It is a severely under-reported crime and, accordingly, also under-prosecuted.
Approximately 60% of all victims are trafficked domestically, but many of its victims from low-income countries are sent to high-income nations. Cross-border trafficking often occurs in the same region. The majority of human trafficking victims are from Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. It is one of the most profitable industries in the world, with little repercussion due to its exploitative and underground criminal nature.
In this gallery, we outline the 25 countries with the highest rates of human trafficking. You’ll be surprised which nations are harboring these illegal crime networks. Click on to read more.