Comparing forced labour and sexual exploitation

Sexual exploitation, historically the predominant type of exploitation among registered victims of trafficking, represents 61 per cent of all trafficking cases, followed by forced labour, which accounts for 37 per cent. In the last ten years, cases of forced labour have increasingly been registered, suggesting either an increased incidence of forced labour and/or the expansion of identification efforts beyond sexual exploitation as the main purpose of trafficking.

Victims of sexual exploitation are mainly exploited in prostitution (86%), and some others (14%) are exploited in pornography. Meanwhile, victims of forced labour are often exploited in domestic work (37%), followed by agriculture (33%), construction (19%), and hospitality (12%).

Sexually exploited victims are more frequently controlled with psychological, physical and sexual abuse (62%), threats (38%), and restrictions on finance, movements, medical care, and necessities (37%). The main means of control used on victims of forced labour are the mentioned restrictions and types of abuse, as well as debt bondage or withheld wages, each accounting for around 60 per cent.^[1]

Around 81 per cent of victims of forced labour were recruited by ‘others’,^[2] while sexually exploited victims are more often recruited by intimate partners, family, or friends, which together represent about 62 per cent.

While victims of both forced labour (38%) and sexual exploitation (59%) are more often trafficked for less than a year, victims of forced labour are about seven per cent more likely (33%) to be trafficked for more than two years, compared to sexually exploited victims (26%).

^[1] It is important to note that trafficked persons can be subjected to multiple types of exploitation and means of control, so percentages may not add up to 100.

^[2] Indicates a notable relationship with the recruiter that does not fit other categories like family or friends. This may include brokers, contractors, employers, or smugglers. See the Global Synthetic Dataset Codebook for a detailed explanation.