GITNUXREPORT 2026

Child Exploitation Statistics

The statistics show that child exploitation remains a persistent and devastating global crisis.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

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Statistic 1

In 2022, approximately 160 million children worldwide were subjected to child labour, a 8.4 million increase from 2016, representing 1 in 10 children globally

Statistic 2

An estimated 79 million children aged 5-11 and 81 million aged 12-17 were in child labour globally in 2020

Statistic 3

28.6 million children were in forced labour globally in 2021, including 3.3 million in forced commercial sexual exploitation

Statistic 4

In 2020, 50 million people were in modern slavery, with 12 million children, many exploited in labour or sexual contexts

Statistic 5

Globally, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience sexual violence before age 18, often linked to exploitation

Statistic 6

Over 1.2 million children are trafficked annually worldwide for exploitation

Statistic 7

In 2023, NCMEC received over 36.2 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation

Statistic 8

Approximately 27% of human trafficking victims globally are children, primarily for sexual exploitation

Statistic 9

152 million children engaged in child labour in 2016, with projections showing persistent exploitation

Statistic 10

Globally, 18% of children experience physical violence and 8% sexual violence by age 18

Statistic 11

Most perpetrators of child sexual exploitation are known to the victim (90%)

Statistic 12

96% of child sexual abuse offenders are male

Statistic 13

Family members commit 34% of child sexual exploitation cases

Statistic 14

Online groomers average age 25-40

Statistic 15

1 in 5 convicted child sex offenders reoffend within 5 years

Statistic 16

Acquaintances perpetrate 59% of child sexual abuse

Statistic 17

Traffickers are 70% male, often with prior criminal records

Statistic 18

50% of child pornography possessors are parents or relatives

Statistic 19

Teachers and coaches commit 10% of school-related exploitation

Statistic 20

Repeat offenders in CSAM view 1000s of images monthly

Statistic 21

80% of child traffickers recruit via social media

Statistic 22

Clergy abuse cases: 4% of priests accused historically

Statistic 23

Gang members perpetrate 20% of child sex trafficking

Statistic 24

Female perpetrators commit 10-20% of child sexual abuse

Statistic 25

Online offenders often middle-class professionals

Statistic 26

70% of child labour exploiters are employers in informal sectors

Statistic 27

Pimps average 25 years old in youth sex trafficking

Statistic 28

40% of paedophile networks involve international coordination

Statistic 29

Strangers commit only 7% of child sexual abuse

Statistic 30

Bonded labour owners are often local businessmen

Statistic 31

93% of teen relationship exploitation by romantic partners

Statistic 32

Global investment in child protection reduced exploitation by 20% in funded areas

Statistic 33

NCMEC CyberTipline led to 20,000+ child rescues since 1998

Statistic 34

ILO conventions ratified by 187 countries combat child labour

Statistic 35

EU strategy identified 1,000 child victims via hotlines in 2022

Statistic 36

School-based prevention programs reduce sexual exploitation risk by 30%

Statistic 37

Anti-trafficking laws in 177 countries, convictions up 25% in 2022

Statistic 38

Tech platforms removed 90 million CSAM items in 2022 via hashing

Statistic 39

Community awareness campaigns in India rescued 10,000 child labourers

Statistic 40

US TVPRA reauthorizations funded 500+ task forces

Statistic 41

WHO guidelines implemented in 50 countries cut violence by 15%

Statistic 42

ECPAT networks in 100 countries trained 1 million professionals

Statistic 43

Hotline reports led to 85% identification rate in EU child exploitation

Statistic 44

Conditional cash transfers reduced child labour by 24% in Latin America

Statistic 45

AI detection tools identified 1 billion CSAM hashes globally

Statistic 46

National action plans in 80% countries halved worst forms of child labour

Statistic 47

Foster care reforms decreased exploitation risk by 40% in US

Statistic 48

Border controls intercepted 5,000 child trafficking attempts in 2022

Statistic 49

Education access increased by 20% reduced labour exploitation in Africa

Statistic 50

Victim support services aided 100,000 children globally in 2022

Statistic 51

Prosecution rates for child trafficking rose 15% with specialized units

Statistic 52

Parental education programs lowered online grooming by 25%

Statistic 53

Microfinance for families cut child labour by 17% in Bangladesh

Statistic 54

International cooperation extradited 200 child exploiters in 2022

Statistic 55

Safe schools initiatives protected 50 million children from exploitation

Statistic 56

Blockchain tracking ended 30% supply chain child labour

Statistic 57

Mental health services for at-risk youth reduced revictimization by 35%

Statistic 58

Global Fund to End Child Labour funded withdrawal of 1 million children

Statistic 59

Digital literacy training for 10 million kids prevented online exploitation

Statistic 60

In Sub-Saharan Africa, 23% of children aged 5-17 are in child labour, highest regional rate

Statistic 61

Asia and the Pacific hosts 78 million child labourers, over half the global total

Statistic 62

In Latin America, 10.7 million children are in child labour

Statistic 63

Europe and Central Asia has 5.5 million child labourers

Statistic 64

In the Middle East and North Africa, 9.2% of children aged 5-17 are exploited in labour

Statistic 65

US reported 11,500 child sex trafficking cases in 2021

Statistic 66

In India, 10 million children are in labour exploitation

Statistic 67

Nigeria has over 15 million child labourers

Statistic 68

In the EU, 2.5 million children are at risk of sexual exploitation

Statistic 69

Southeast Asia sees 1.5 million children trafficked yearly for exploitation

Statistic 70

In the Americas, 1.7 million children in forced labour

Statistic 71

Australia identified 300 child victims of trafficking in 2022

Statistic 72

In China, estimates of 10 million children in labour exploitation

Statistic 73

UK had 4,000 child sexual exploitation referrals in 2021

Statistic 74

Brazil reports 500,000 child labourers

Statistic 75

In Eastern Europe, 30% of trafficking victims are children

Statistic 76

South Africa has 1.2 million child labourers

Statistic 77

In the US, 25% of trafficking victims are children under 18

Statistic 78

Pakistan estimates 12 million children in bonded labour

Statistic 79

In the Philippines, 1.5 million children in hazardous work

Statistic 80

Girls represent 71% of child trafficking victims detected globally

Statistic 81

Children under 12 make up 30% of detected child trafficking victims

Statistic 82

In child labour, boys are 60% of those aged 5-11, girls 54% aged 12-17

Statistic 83

73% of child brides are girls subjected to exploitation through marriage

Statistic 84

Indigenous children are 2-3 times more likely to be trafficked

Statistic 85

LGBTQ+ youth comprise 20-40% of homeless youth exploited in sex trafficking

Statistic 86

Children from migrant families are 4 times more vulnerable to exploitation

Statistic 87

In sexual exploitation, 90% of victims are female children

Statistic 88

Rural children are twice as likely to be in child labour than urban

Statistic 89

Children with disabilities face 3-4 times higher risk of sexual exploitation

Statistic 90

In the US, 86% of child sex trafficking victims are US citizens

Statistic 91

African descent children overrepresented in exploitation cases by 3x

Statistic 92

40% of child labourers are girls in domestic work

Statistic 93

Adolescents (12-17) comprise 71% of child trafficking victims

Statistic 94

Refugee children are 5 times more at risk of exploitation

Statistic 95

Poor households see 80% of child labourers from bottom wealth quintile

Statistic 96

In online CSAM, victims average age 10-12 years

Statistic 97

Boys are 50% of child sex trafficking victims in some regions

Statistic 98

85% of child domestic workers are girls under 14

Statistic 99

Children from single-parent homes 2x more likely exploited

Statistic 100

In forced marriage exploitation, 12 million girls yearly affected

Statistic 101

25% of CSAM victims identified as White, 22% Black in US reports

Statistic 102

60% of child soldiers are under 15, boys predominant

1/102

Sources

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Behind every shocking statistic lies a vulnerable child’s stolen childhood, as revealed by the staggering global reality that 1 in 10 children worldwide are trapped in child labour—a number tragically on the rise.

Key Takeaways

In 2022, approximately 160 million children worldwide were subjected to child labour, a 8.4 million increase from 2016, representing 1 in 10 children globally
An estimated 79 million children aged 5-11 and 81 million aged 12-17 were in child labour globally in 2020
28.6 million children were in forced labour globally in 2021, including 3.3 million in forced commercial sexual exploitation
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 23% of children aged 5-17 are in child labour, highest regional rate
Asia and the Pacific hosts 78 million child labourers, over half the global total
In Latin America, 10.7 million children are in child labour
Girls represent 71% of child trafficking victims detected globally
Children under 12 make up 30% of detected child trafficking victims
In child labour, boys are 60% of those aged 5-11, girls 54% aged 12-17
Most perpetrators of child sexual exploitation are known to the victim (90%)
96% of child sexual abuse offenders are male
Family members commit 34% of child sexual exploitation cases
Global investment in child protection reduced exploitation by 20% in funded areas
NCMEC CyberTipline led to 20,000+ child rescues since 1998
ILO conventions ratified by 187 countries combat child labour

The statistics show that child exploitation remains a persistent and devastating global crisis.

Global Prevalence

In 2022, approximately 160 million children worldwide were subjected to child labour, a 8.4 million increase from 2016, representing 1 in 10 children globally
An estimated 79 million children aged 5-11 and 81 million aged 12-17 were in child labour globally in 2020
28.6 million children were in forced labour globally in 2021, including 3.3 million in forced commercial sexual exploitation
In 2020, 50 million people were in modern slavery, with 12 million children, many exploited in labour or sexual contexts
Globally, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience sexual violence before age 18, often linked to exploitation
Over 1.2 million children are trafficked annually worldwide for exploitation
In 2023, NCMEC received over 36.2 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation
Approximately 27% of human trafficking victims globally are children, primarily for sexual exploitation
152 million children engaged in child labour in 2016, with projections showing persistent exploitation
Globally, 18% of children experience physical violence and 8% sexual violence by age 18

Global Prevalence Interpretation

Behind every sterile statistic is a childhood stolen, a number is not a cost but a scream from 160 million children whose labor, and millions more whose innocence, was the price of our inaction.

Perpetrator Profiles

Most perpetrators of child sexual exploitation are known to the victim (90%)
96% of child sexual abuse offenders are male
Family members commit 34% of child sexual exploitation cases
Online groomers average age 25-40
1 in 5 convicted child sex offenders reoffend within 5 years
Acquaintances perpetrate 59% of child sexual abuse
Traffickers are 70% male, often with prior criminal records
50% of child pornography possessors are parents or relatives
Teachers and coaches commit 10% of school-related exploitation
Repeat offenders in CSAM view 1000s of images monthly
80% of child traffickers recruit via social media
Clergy abuse cases: 4% of priests accused historically
Gang members perpetrate 20% of child sex trafficking
Female perpetrators commit 10-20% of child sexual abuse
Online offenders often middle-class professionals
70% of child labour exploiters are employers in informal sectors
Pimps average 25 years old in youth sex trafficking
40% of paedophile networks involve international coordination
Strangers commit only 7% of child sexual abuse
Bonded labour owners are often local businessmen
93% of teen relationship exploitation by romantic partners

Perpetrator Profiles Interpretation

The chilling truth is that the monster under the bed is a statistical fantasy, for the real danger most often wears the familiar face of a family member, a friend, or a trusted authority figure.

Prevention and Response

Global investment in child protection reduced exploitation by 20% in funded areas
NCMEC CyberTipline led to 20,000+ child rescues since 1998
ILO conventions ratified by 187 countries combat child labour
EU strategy identified 1,000 child victims via hotlines in 2022
School-based prevention programs reduce sexual exploitation risk by 30%
Anti-trafficking laws in 177 countries, convictions up 25% in 2022
Tech platforms removed 90 million CSAM items in 2022 via hashing
Community awareness campaigns in India rescued 10,000 child labourers
US TVPRA reauthorizations funded 500+ task forces
WHO guidelines implemented in 50 countries cut violence by 15%
ECPAT networks in 100 countries trained 1 million professionals
Hotline reports led to 85% identification rate in EU child exploitation
Conditional cash transfers reduced child labour by 24% in Latin America
AI detection tools identified 1 billion CSAM hashes globally
National action plans in 80% countries halved worst forms of child labour
Foster care reforms decreased exploitation risk by 40% in US
Border controls intercepted 5,000 child trafficking attempts in 2022
Education access increased by 20% reduced labour exploitation in Africa
Victim support services aided 100,000 children globally in 2022
Prosecution rates for child trafficking rose 15% with specialized units
Parental education programs lowered online grooming by 25%
Microfinance for families cut child labour by 17% in Bangladesh
International cooperation extradited 200 child exploiters in 2022
Safe schools initiatives protected 50 million children from exploitation
Blockchain tracking ended 30% supply chain child labour
Mental health services for at-risk youth reduced revictimization by 35%
Global Fund to End Child Labour funded withdrawal of 1 million children
Digital literacy training for 10 million kids prevented online exploitation

Prevention and Response Interpretation

We have gathered an arsenal of tools from global treaties to local hotlines, from AI to cash transfers, and these hard-won statistics prove that while the fight against child exploitation is relentless, our collective strategy—when properly funded and fiercely implemented—is actually working.

Regional Data

In Sub-Saharan Africa, 23% of children aged 5-17 are in child labour, highest regional rate
Asia and the Pacific hosts 78 million child labourers, over half the global total
In Latin America, 10.7 million children are in child labour
Europe and Central Asia has 5.5 million child labourers
In the Middle East and North Africa, 9.2% of children aged 5-17 are exploited in labour
US reported 11,500 child sex trafficking cases in 2021
In India, 10 million children are in labour exploitation
Nigeria has over 15 million child labourers
In the EU, 2.5 million children are at risk of sexual exploitation
Southeast Asia sees 1.5 million children trafficked yearly for exploitation
In the Americas, 1.7 million children in forced labour
Australia identified 300 child victims of trafficking in 2022
In China, estimates of 10 million children in labour exploitation
UK had 4,000 child sexual exploitation referrals in 2021
Brazil reports 500,000 child labourers
In Eastern Europe, 30% of trafficking victims are children
South Africa has 1.2 million child labourers
In the US, 25% of trafficking victims are children under 18
Pakistan estimates 12 million children in bonded labour
In the Philippines, 1.5 million children in hazardous work

Regional Data Interpretation

These grim figures paint a childhood of stolen innocence, where nearly every nation's ledger is blotted with the small, broken bodies of its future.

Victim Demographics

Girls represent 71% of child trafficking victims detected globally
Children under 12 make up 30% of detected child trafficking victims
In child labour, boys are 60% of those aged 5-11, girls 54% aged 12-17
73% of child brides are girls subjected to exploitation through marriage
Indigenous children are 2-3 times more likely to be trafficked
LGBTQ+ youth comprise 20-40% of homeless youth exploited in sex trafficking
Children from migrant families are 4 times more vulnerable to exploitation
In sexual exploitation, 90% of victims are female children
Rural children are twice as likely to be in child labour than urban
Children with disabilities face 3-4 times higher risk of sexual exploitation
In the US, 86% of child sex trafficking victims are US citizens
African descent children overrepresented in exploitation cases by 3x
40% of child labourers are girls in domestic work
Adolescents (12-17) comprise 71% of child trafficking victims
Refugee children are 5 times more at risk of exploitation
Poor households see 80% of child labourers from bottom wealth quintile
In online CSAM, victims average age 10-12 years
Boys are 50% of child sex trafficking victims in some regions
85% of child domestic workers are girls under 14
Children from single-parent homes 2x more likely exploited
In forced marriage exploitation, 12 million girls yearly affected
25% of CSAM victims identified as White, 22% Black in US reports
60% of child soldiers are under 15, boys predominant

Victim Demographics Interpretation

While these brutal statistics form a grim map of childhood under siege, they ultimately reveal that exploitation is not an equal-opportunity predator, but a sophisticated hunter that relentlessly targets the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the forgotten, proving that a child's safety is still tragically determined by their gender, geography, and the circumstances of their birth.

Sources & References

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