Police statistics 

The Federal Situation Report Trafficking in Human Beings and exploitation by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) documents completed investigations annually. 

Figures from the Federal Situation Report 2024:

• Total number the investigations concluded on suspicion of human trafficking and exploitation: 576
• 364 proceedings for sexual exploitation
• 41 proceedings due to labor exploitation
• 1. Proceedings for exploitation of begging activities
• 2 proceedings for exploitation of criminal acts
• 17 proceedings for forced marriage
• 209 proceedings for exploitation of minor victims

In cases of sexual exploitation, victims with German citizenship constituted the largest group, followed by those from China, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. labor exploitation Most of the victims came from Slovakia, Moldova and Vietnam; German victims played hardly any role.

However, the federal situation report only includes completed police investigations. Therefore, the The significance of this data is limited.Many cases of Trafficking in Human Beings, in which the affected parties of specialised counselling centres Those who receive advice and support but avoid contact with authorities are not included in the statistics. Furthermore, many remain in the system. Darkfield, because they are not considered affected by Trafficking in Human Beings be identified.  

To understand the extent of the phenomenon Trafficking in Human Beings In order to be able to reflect the needs of those affected in Germany, data from civil society practice must absolutely be taken into account. 

For this reason, the KOK has developed its own data collection tool for its member organizations. The data is collected by specialized specialised counselling centres for those affected by Trafficking in Human Beings Data collected with the consent of the clients. 

Since 2020, the KOK has published an annual analysis of its data tool. The KOK data reports complement the statistical surveys conducted by law enforcement agencies and reflect a civil society and human rights-based perspective on the issue.

Figures Trafficking in Human Beings and exploitation in Germany 2024:

• 868 cases of Trafficking in Human Beings were through the specialised counselling centres documented.
• 659 of them were released for evaluation.
• 84 percent the advised affected persons are female.
• 36 percent of those receiving advice are between 22 and 29 years old, 34 percent between 30 and 39.
• Sexual exploitation is the most common form of exploitation: 68 percent of cases
• 52 percent of those affected come from West African countries.

When considering the results, it should be noted that the data report also only represents a portion of the support work of the specialised counselling centres can be mapped. Not all are integrated into the KOK data tool, and the collected data is based on Voluntary submissions from counseling centers. The basis for submitting cases is always the consent of those affected. Therefore, some cases do not appear in the data tool at all., while others are incompletely recorded.

KOK Data Report 2025

The merging of data from federal and state authorities and civil society organizations enables a more comprehensive view of the situation in Germany. The reporting office is tasked with this. Trafficking in Human Beings entrusted to the German Institute for Human Rights. In 2024, she published the first Human Trafficking Monitor.

The comprehensive presentation of data on all forms of exploitation, from all federal states and over several years, is new in Germany in this form.

The evaluation by the reporting office Trafficking in Human Beings shows the following for the period 2020 to 2022:

• Investigative authorities they 3.155 people affected by Trafficking in Human Beings identified.
• During this period 3.704 people, in which there is suspicion of Trafficking in Human Beings or exploitation was present, seek advice from specialized experts. specialised counselling centres or employment law Counseling Centers searched.
• The The overlap between the individuals recorded is small.Only 13 percent of those identified by the BKA (Federal Criminal Police Office) sought counseling from [the relevant authority/organization]. specialised counselling centres to complete.

When interpreting the data, the following points must be considered when combining different statistics: On the one hand, the data are only partially comparable due to the different collection methods. On the other hand, the figures cannot be summed to form a total, as double counting of individual affected persons cannot be ruled out.

The assessment of the situation by international organizations varies greatly depending on how broad or narrow the definition of Trafficking in Human Beings how it is handled and what form of data collection is used.

Created by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Reports based on official statistics from 156 countries: 

• Between 2020 and 2023, 202.478 people affected by Trafficking in Human Beings Registered worldwide.
• Of these, 38 percent were minors and 62 percent were adults.
• 42 percent of the identified individuals were from labor exploitation affected, 36 percent of sexual exploitation, eight percent of exploitation through criminal activity and another eight percent of various forms of exploitation, for example begging and forced marriage.
• Compared to 2019, there was a Increase in Trafficking in Human Beings at the expense of minors, by 31 percent, among the female victims, an increase of 38 percent.
• The cases of labor exploitation have increased by 47 percent in the same period.
• In contrast, the most convictions in connection with sexual exploitation occurs: 72 percent the convictions sexuelle Ausbeutung, however, 17 percent labor exploitation.
• women and girls They still make up the majority of those affected discovered worldwide: 61 percent in 2022. The majority of identified female victims (60 percent) are sexually exploited.

These figures provide valuable insights, but their significance is limited as they are based on official statistics on identified victims provided by the countries. Trafficking in Human Beings, data on proceedings concerning human trafficking and exploitation are based on and thus only reflect the so-called "reported cases".

Every two years, the EU Commission publishes a Report on combating human traffickingThe report is based on contributions from Member States, EU agencies and the EU Civil Society Platform on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.

The fifth report presents data from the reporting period 2021 and 2022:

• During the reporting period, 17.248 people affected by Trafficking in Human Beings registered. This represents an increase of 20,5 percent compared to the previous period (2019-2020).
• Trafficking in Human Beings to Sexual exploitation remains the most common form at 49 percent., followed by labor exploitation with 37 percent.
• 65 percent of all those affected are women and girls.Women and girls are particularly affected by sexual exploitation: 68 percent of victims were women and 24 percent girls. Men, on the other hand, make up the majority of victims. labor exploitation from (70 percent).
• Children and young people make up a total of 19 percent of those affected, although their share decreased slightly compared to the previous reporting period.

The actual figures are estimated to be significantly higher, as the statistics, similar to the Federal Criminal Police Office's (BKA) situation report and the UNODC report, only include cases registered by official bodies and authorities. Trafficking in Human Beings The figures collected can vary considerably within the EU, due to different approaches to reporting data to the police and judiciary, the varying degrees of implementation of the EU Directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings in the EU member states, and differing criminal responses to the Trafficking in Human Beings This is due to the fact that not all EU member states regularly report case numbers. Furthermore, not all EU member states regularly report case numbers. With the reform of the EU directive against human trafficking This problem is acknowledged: The revised directive aims to standardize data collection and reporting across the EU.

According to the report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Walk Free Foundation In 2023, there were approximately... worldwide 50 million people affected by modern slaveryThis number includes, in addition to... Forced labour and sexual exploitation also includes phenomena such as forced marriage.

The survey is based on:

• Surveys in selected countries
• Projections for countries without surveys
• Databases, such as the Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative (CTDC), which contain information about identified victims of Trafficking in Human Beings bundles.

The methodology used for the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery is described in detail in a separate document. Publication described.