How many people are trapped in forced labour? 27.6 million people are in situations of forced labour. That’s 3.5 people for every thousand in the world.
15% of adults in forced labour are migrant workers despite accounting for only around 5% of the global workforce. They are three times more likely to be in forced labour than non-migrant workers.
Where does forced labour occur? Over 50% of forced labour occurs in upper-middle income or high-income countries. Lower-middle income countries account for 32% and low-income countries account for 16%.
How does it occur? Forced labour consists of two important elements: absence of free and informed consent (involuntariness) and presence of coercion (to prevent an individual from leaving a situation or to compel them to work). In most cases of forced labour, multiple forms are present.