The Global Slavery Index estimates one million ninety one thousand people live in modern slavery in the United States. The National Human Trafficking Hotline received reports of ten thousand three hundred fifty nine situations affecting sixteen thousand five hundred fifty four victims. Intimate partners account for seventy five percent of recruitment cases.
Key Takeaways
- 40% of perpetrators are romantically involved with victims
- In 2022, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received reports of 10,359 human trafficking situations affecting 16,554 individual victims in the United States
- In FY2022, DOJ prosecuted 235 defendants for trafficking offenses
- Sex trafficking represents 72% of child victim cases
- 65% of adult victims identified by the Hotline in 2022 were female
In the United States, thousands of people are trafficked each year, and many cases go unreported.
Related reading
01 · Category
Perpetrator and Recruitment20 stats
01
40% of perpetrators are romantically involved with victims
02
19% of traffickers are family members
03
12% are acquaintances
04
67% of known perpetrators are male
05
29% female
06
4% unknown gender
07
Black perpetrators: 42% of identified
08
White: 24%
09
Hispanic/Latino: 20%
10
75% of recruitment happens via intimate partner relationships
11
Online recruitment: 25% of cases
12
Force used in 30% of cases
13
Coercion/fraud in 50%
14
60% of traffickers are US citizens
15
Foreign national traffickers: 20%
16
Average trafficker age 25-35 for sex trafficking
17
Gang involvement in 15% of cases
18
Use of drugs to control victims: 55%
19
Debt bondage in 40% of labor cases
20
Threats to family: 35%
Interpretation
Perpetrator and Recruitment Interpretation
In the grim arithmetic of exploitation, the path to captivity is most often paved with false intimacy, where trusted faces—lovers, family, friends—account for the majority of those who betray, control, and commodify human lives.
02 · Category
Prevalence and Scale29 stats
01
In 2022, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received reports of 10,359 human trafficking situations affecting 16,554 individual victims in the United States
02
The U.S. Department of State estimates that approximately 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States annually from abroad
03
From 2013 to 2022, the Hotline identified 351,000 signals of human trafficking across all 50 states, DC, and US territories
04
In fiscal year 2021, the FBI investigated 1,231 human trafficking cases leading to 1,108 arrests
05
A 2020 study by the Urban Institute found that human trafficking generates $150 million annually in illicit profits in just eight major US cities
06
The Global Slavery Index 2023 estimates 1,091,000 people living in conditions of modern slavery in the US
07
In 2021, California reported 1,334 human trafficking cases to the Hotline, the highest in the nation
08
Texas saw 1,113 potential human trafficking situations reported in 2022
09
Florida had 879 trafficking signals in 2022, ranking third nationally
10
According to the DOJ, between 2011-2020, 2,284 defendants were convicted federally for human trafficking offenses
11
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children identified 29,800 cases of child sex trafficking online in 2022
12
In 2020, 73% of labor trafficking victims in the US were foreign nationals
13
A GAO report found 40% of trafficking victims encountered were US citizens
14
From 2015-2019, over 11,500 minors were identified as sex trafficking victims by HHS
15
New York reported 507 cases in 2022
16
The US TIP Report 2023 notes sex trafficking accounts for 80% of cases prosecuted federally
17
Illinois had 452 signals in 2022
18
Georgia reported 441 cases
19
Nevada saw 334 potential situations in 2022
20
A 2018 ILO estimate suggests 71,000 people in forced labor in the US
21
Ohio had 314 reports in 2022
22
North Carolina: 309 cases
23
Washington: 308 signals
24
Arizona: 290 cases
25
Michigan: 280 reports
26
Louisiana: 271 cases
27
In 2022, 49.6% of trafficking situations involved sex trafficking only
28
10.9% involved combined sex and labor trafficking
29
28.2% were labor trafficking only
Interpretation
Prevalence and Scale Interpretation
Behind every cold statistic—from the staggering 1.1 million estimated to live in modern slavery here, to the $150 million in annual illicit profits in just eight cities—lies a devastating, preventable crime flourishing in plain sight across every single state.
03 · Category
Response and Prosecution15 stats
01
In FY2022, DOJ prosecuted 235 defendants for trafficking offenses
02
1,218 trafficking-related arrests by federal law enforcement in FY2022
03
110 minors recovered in Operation Renewed Hope 2022
04
333 defendants charged in Blue Campaign initiatives 2023
05
TVPRA certifications issued to 1,256 victims in FY2021
06
$36 million in victim restitution ordered in FY2021
07
85% conviction rate for federal trafficking cases
08
Continued presence granted to 300 foreign victims in 2022
09
50 states have anti-trafficking laws
10
$130 million allocated federally for anti-trafficking in FY2023
11
4,800 calls to Hotline leading to 1,200+ victim referrals in 2022
12
25 Task Force teams funded by OJP in 2023
13
1,100 survivors served by HHS grants in 2021
14
70% of states require trafficking training for hospitality workers
15
FBI tips led to 150 rescues in 2022
Interpretation
Response and Prosecution Interpretation
While the grim tally of prosecutions and recoveries reveals a pervasive crime, the growing web of laws, funding, and victim support shows a nation reluctantly but resolutely sharpening its tools to dismantle human trafficking from within.
More related reading
04 · Category
Types of Trafficking22 stats
01
Sex trafficking represents 72% of child victim cases
02
Labor trafficking accounts for 19% of child cases
03
Sex trafficking: 84% of adult female victims
04
Labor trafficking: 60% of adult male victims
05
Domestic work is the most common labor sector at 32% of cases
06
Agriculture: 12% of labor trafficking
07
Illicit activities like drug trafficking: 9%
08
Restaurants: 8%
09
Escort services: 40% of sex trafficking venues
10
Pornography production: 12%
11
Online ads: 35% of sex trafficking detection
12
Street-based: 19%
13
Residential: 14%
14
Hotels/motels: 13%
15
Construction: 6% of labor
16
Bars/clubs/nightclubs: 5% sex trafficking
17
Massage parlors: 4%
18
Factories: 4% labor
19
Pedicure/spa/salon: 3%
20
Retail: 3% labor
21
Cannabinoid production: 2%
22
Hotels: 2% labor
Interpretation
Types of Trafficking Interpretation
While the statistics paint a grim portrait of exploitation in the shadows of everyday life, the most unsettling truth is that they reveal our own neighborhoods, industries, and online spaces as the primary venues for this modern-day slavery.
05 · Category
Victim Demographics25 stats
01
65% of adult victims identified by the Hotline in 2022 were female
02
26% of adult victims were male
03
53% of child victims were female
04
44% of child victims were male
05
79% of minor sex trafficking victims were female
06
Black individuals comprised 39% of all Hotline contacts in 2022
07
Hispanic/Latino victims made up 27% of signals
08
White victims: 20%
09
44% of labor trafficking victims were children
10
Average age of sex trafficking victims is 12-14 years old
11
98% of sex trafficking minors in the US are US citizens
12
LGBTQ+ youth are 7 times more likely to experience trafficking
13
Runaway youth are at 1 in 7 risk of trafficking within 48 hours
14
Foster care youth represent 20% of sex trafficking victims despite being 1% of child population
15
86% of child sex trafficking victims knew their trafficker
16
Indigenous women are 2.5 times more likely to experience violence including trafficking
17
Asian/Pacific Islander victims: 4% of signals
18
Unknown ethnicity: 10%
19
27% of victims were 18-25 years old
20
24% were 26-35
21
15% were under 18
22
14% were 36-45
23
9% were 46+
24
1% unknown age
25
49.8% of sex trafficking victims were White
Interpretation
Victim Demographics Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim portrait of a domestic crisis where our most vulnerable—children in foster care, runaway LGBTQ+ youth, and girls as young as 12—are systematically targeted and exploited, often by someone they know, right here in America.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Human Trafficking In The United States Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/human-trafficking-in-the-united-states-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Human Trafficking In The United States Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/human-trafficking-in-the-united-states-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Human Trafficking In The United States Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/human-trafficking-in-the-united-states-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level