Human Trafficking Statistics By State 2024 (2024)

Human trafficking remains a reprehensible, yet pervasive crime that lurks in the shadows of our society. Often termed as "modern-day slavery," this gross violation of fundamental human rights extends across states, races, and social strata. This illicit trade of beings, driven by force, fraud, or coercion, results in either sexual exploitation or compelled labor. In the US alone, an alarming figure of 199,000 incidents are estimated to occur annually.

• The state with the highest rate of human trafficking cases is Mississippi, with a rate of 6.38, followed closely by Nevada at 5.80.
• There is a noticeable regional pattern, primarily in states with high tourism, migrations, or large transient populations. States like Florida, California, and Texas have considerably high rates, indicating over 3 cases per capita.
• Conversely, New England states plus Rhode Island report the lowest rates of human trafficking cases, with Rhode Island having the lowest at 0.92.
• There exists a substantial variance in reported human trafficking cases across states, with the highest rate states having over six times the cases of the lowest rate states.
• Regardless of the rankings, no state is devoid of this issue, emphasizing that human trafficking is a nationwide concern that requires collective and comprehensive countermeasures.

Leading the pack is Mississippi, with a disturbing rate of 6.38. This makes it the state with the highest rate of human trafficking cases in the nation.

Following Mississippi, we have Nevada with a rate of 5.80, a state notorious due to its considerable transient population and tourist influx. This positions Nevada as an unsettling hotspot for human trafficking crimes, primarily driven by the commercial sex industry.

Missouri and Nebraska come in third and fourth respectively, with rates of 4.32 and 3.65. Not far behind, we have California with a rate of 3.43. As one of the most populous and diverse states, California suffers from a complex variety of human trafficking forms.

Rounding out the ten states with the most severe human trafficking issue, Oregon, Florida, Texas, Arkansas, and Georgia all display rates over 3.0.

States with the Most Human Trafficking:

1. Mississippi - 6.38
2. Nevada - 5.80
3. Missouri - 4.32
4. Nebraska - 3.65
5. California - 3.43
6. Oregon - 3.29
7. Florida - 3.26
8. Texas - 3.24
9. Arkansas - 3.23
10. Georgia - 3.06