Updated National and State Human Trafficking Statistics
Nearly 200,000 human trafficking victims have been identified through reports to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) since 2007, according to newly updated 2023 statistics. This includes over 4,806 in Pennsylvania alone.[1]
Though one of the most reliable data sources on United States trafficking trends, these figures calculate only known, reported cases. Indeed, researchers estimate thousands more victims remain unknown — 28 million annually worldwide and 1 million in the U.S.[2]
Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit someone for profit through avenues including sexual exploitation, forced labor, debt bondage, and domestic servitude. It is a subcategory of modern-day slavery, which, with the inclusion of forced marriages, harms nearly 50 million people globally.
This exploitation is deeply embedded within global supply chains. A 2023 analysis of G20 imports (which accounts for 85% of global GDP trade) found nearly $500 billion worth of goods were likely connected to modern-day slavery.[3]
National Statistics
NHTH’s updated data includes topline 2023 figures of signals (calls, texts, etc. to the tipline) and case and victim identification, as well as prior year data revisions and a detailed 2020-2022 report from the Polaris Project.
According to the most recent 2023 data:
- NHTH identified 9,619 trafficking cases involving 16,999 victims, totaling 197,000 known victims since 2007.
- As in previous years, the majority of cases involved sex trafficking (5,572 v. 1,558 labor trafficking) and females (6,863 v. 1,480 males).
Both identified cases and victims increased in 2023. Yet, this still falls below pre-COVID pandemic 2018 and 2019 levels. The depressed reporting in 2020, 2021, and 2022 does not mean human trafficking decreased. Rather, pandemic-induced restrictions and economic strain caused many people to experience instabilities that increased their risk for trafficking, while simultaneously complicating victim reporting and victim identification.[4]
To better understand the pandemic’s impact — and lay the foundation for assessing potential long-term changes to the scope, nature, and trends of human trafficking — the Polaris Project released a detailed analysis of January 2020–August 2022 statistics.[5] They found vulnerabilities continue to drive human trafficking despite pandemic-impacted suppressed commercial activity and reporting. Specifically:
- Online sexual exploitation temporarily spiked in the early months of the pandemic. While escort services remain the top reported type of sex trafficking, trafficking in the pornography industry has steadily increased since 2018.
- Restaurant/food services labor trafficking dropped during the pandemic as businesses were shuttered, but the trend has since sharply reversed.
- Otherwise, vulnerabilities to human trafficking, victim demographics, top venues, and exploiter relationships and tactics followed pre-pandemic trends.
- Labor trafficking — When known, 9% of victims were minors, majority male, and 82% Latino/a identifying.
- Sex trafficking — When known, 37% of victims were minors, 80% female, and White/Caucasian (32%), Asian (25%), African American (21%), Latino/a (20%).
- Victims almost always knew their trafficker, with employers, family, and romantic partners the leading relationship types.
Pennsylvania Estimates
The NHTH has identified over 4,800 trafficking victims in Pennsylvania since 2007. Similar to national trends, identified cases and victims increased from 2022, yet still falls below pre-pandemic identification in 2018 and 2019.[6] Specifically:
- In 2023, there were 220 cases impacting 469 victims. Where known, the majority of victims were female (173 v. 35 male) and adults (163 v. 72 minors).
- Sex trafficking accounted for 142 cases primarily in the residence-based commercial sex venue, followed by illicit massage businesses.
- Labor trafficking accounted for 29 cases, including domestic work.
Pennsylvania ranked 11th among U.S. territories for its percentage of reported cases and tips, with over 600 calls, texts, and online contacts made to the hotline in 2023. With the exception of drastic drops in ranking in 2022, 2018, and 2017, this ranking has been relatively consistent since 2015.
Community Engagement Drives Survivor Support
As these reports demonstrate, human traffickers continue to prey upon existing vulnerabilities both globally and here in the U.S. and Pennsylvania. While premature to determine whether 2023 increases in victim identification (a crucial first step in helping victims) will be sustained, the Polaris Project’s COVID analysis underscores the importance of systemic change:
“Human trafficking in the US remained remarkably unimpeded by the pandemic and regrettably resilient. This analysis suggests that the vulnerabilities that make people susceptible to trafficking in the first place — the broken systems that enable traffickers to target people who are unhoused, impacted by substance use, economically marginalized, or have recently migrated; and the unending demand for commercial sex and cheap labor — continue to drive human trafficking.”
The above analyses also reveal proven solutions and paths of hope to eradicate exploitation.
Family, friends, and neighbours are a vital helpline to those in need. Since 2017, and even through the pandemic, friend and family interactions were the most common access point to help. Further, the top referral request in sex trafficking situations was for shelter or housing.
Yet, many victims never make a call. Therefore, knowing the signs and raising awareness can uncover exploitation, while supporting direct services such as Greenlight Operation’s Restoration Home can increase paths of healing for survivors.
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[1] “National Statistics,” National Human Trafficking Hotline, https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics. Note when comparing to previous reporting: in 2024, NHTH revised previous year data. Further, analyses of annual or multi-year trends are not released simultaneously to raw data releases. According to NHTH, “data presented here does not represent prevalence data, nor should it be considered a representative sample of all trafficking situations or trafficking victims in the United States”
[2] “Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage,” International Labour Organization, Walk Free, and International Organization for Migration (2022), https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_norm/—ipec/documents/publication/wcms_854733.pdf.; Global Slavery Index, “Modern Slavery in the United States,” Walk Free (2023), https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/country-studies/united-states/.
[3] “The Global Slavery Index 2023,” Walk Free (2023), https://cdn.walkfree.org/content/uploads/2023/05/17114737/Global-Slavery-Index-2023.pdf.
[4] “2021 National Human Trafficking Hotline Data Report,” National Human Trafficking Hotline (2023), https://humantraffickinghotline.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/National%20Report%20For%202021.docx%20%283%29.pdf; “2020 National Hotline Annual Report,” National Human Trafficking Hotline (2021), https://humantraffickinghotline.org/sites/default/files/National%20Report%20For%202020.pdf.
[5] “Human Trafficking During the COVID and Post-COVID Era,” Polaris Project (2023), https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Hotline-Trends-Report-2023.pdf.
[6] Pennsylvania State Report for 2021,” NHTH (2023), https://humantraffickinghotline.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/Penns ylvania%20State%20Report%20For%202021.docx%20%281%29.pdf