Slavery

36 Million Slaves Worldwide

Slavery may seem like a relic of the past, but in fact 0.5 percent of the world's population—36 million people—are currently enslaved. The survey, by anti-slavery group Walk Free, identifies as slaves those subjected to forced labor, debt bondage, trafficking, sexual exploitation for money, and forced or servile marriage. India hosts the greatest number of slaves of any country, with 14 million, followed by China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and then Russia. Mauritania, meanwhile, has the ignominious distinction of having the highest percentage of slaves, at 4 percent of its population. More...