Statistics

Overall 

  • 600,000 to 800,000 people are estimated to be trafficked across nation's borders world-wide every year

Source: 2014 TIP Report - US State Department

  • Estimates are as high as 27 million

Source: Kevin Bales of Free the Slaves

  • The worldwide industry earns $150.2 billion per year from the use of forced labor

  • More than 1/3 of the profits [$51.2 billion] are made from labor trafficking

  • 2/3 of the profits [estimated $99 billion per year] are made from sex trafficking

  • Human trafficking is now the 2nd highest grossing criminal enterprise

  • 14,500 - 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year

  • 200,000 are estimated to be trafficking within the United States each year

Source: 2014 TIP Report - US State Department

  • 244,000 American children estimated to be at risk of commercial sexual exploitation in 2000

  • The average age of a person that is targeted and commercially sexually exploited is between 12 and 14 years old

Source: Estes, Richard J. and Neil A. Weiner. The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work: 2001.  

Prosecution Statistics

  • Worldwide, approximately 9,460 prosecutions for trafficking took place in 2013

    • Resulting in 5,776 convictions

  • In the United States federally, there were 1,927 investigations with 232 prosecutions (charging 253 defendants)

    • Resulting in 174 convicted traffickers

Source: 2014 TIP Report - State Department

Maryland Statistics

  • Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force (MHTTF) Victim Service Subcommittee members assisted 217 victims of trafficking in 2013

  • FBI Child Exploitation Task Force has identified 46 child victims of trafficking in Maryland since January 2013

  • MHTTF federal law enforcement partners have identified 200 total victims of trafficking since January 2013

  • MHTTF federal law enforcement partners have arrested 94 human traffickers since January 2013

  • 23 federal trafficking prosecutions in Maryland since January 2013

  • The Department of Juvenile Services has identified 78 potential victims of trafficking since the inception of their screening tool at their facilities in 2012  [Currently the screening tool has been implemented at Alfred D. Noyes' Children's Center, Thomas JS Waxter's Children's Center, and The Charles Hickey School]

  • The Department of Human Resources has identified 70 potential victims of trafficking since the inception of their screening tool in May 2014

Disclaimer: These statistics are for informational purposes only.

For additional statistical information related to human trafficking in Maryland contact us.