Global Slavery Index 2023

Tags: INDEX

The Walk Free Foundation recently released the Global Slavery Index 2023, an assessment of modern slavery conditions in 160 countries. 

An overview of the news

• Global Slavery Index 2023 is the fifth edition and is based on the estimates from 2022.

• The global slavery index provides an overview of modern slavery.

• According to the report approximately 50 million individuals were living in “modern slavery” on any given day in 2021.

• Of the 50 million affected people, 28 million suffer from forced labor, while 22 million face forced marriage. Remarkably, 12 million of those affected are children.

What is Modern Slavery?

• It refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuses of power. 

• Modern slavery is a term that covers various forms of exploitation, including forced labor, forced marriage, debt bondage, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, slavery-like practices, forced or servile marriage, and the sale and exploitation of children.

Key findings of the report

• Countries with the highest prevalence: Based on available data, the following countries have been identified as having the highest prevalence of modern slavery: North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. These countries exhibit a relatively higher incidence of individuals living in modern slavery compared to others.

• Countries with the lowest prevalence: On the other hand, certain countries have been found to have the lowest prevalence of modern slavery. These countries include Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, and Sweden. They have comparatively lower instances of individuals living in modern slavery within their populations.

• Countries with the maximum number of people living in modern slavery: India, China, North Korea, Pakistan, and Russia have been identified as countries with the highest number of people living in modern slavery.

• G20 nations hosting the maximum number of people living in modern slavery: Out of the G20 nations, which represent the world's major economies, six members have been found to host the highest number of individuals living in modern slavery. These countries are India, China, Russia, Indonesia, Turkey, and the United States.

What is the Prevalence of Modern slavery? 

• The prevalence of modern slavery refers to the incidence of individuals living in modern slavery per 1000 population. 

What is the Global Slavery Index?

• The Global Slavery Index is a comprehensive report developed by Walk Free, a respected human rights organization. 

• The index draws upon data provided by the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, a collaborative effort by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

• These organizations work together to gather and analyze data on modern slavery worldwide.

• The recently published Global Slavery Index is the fifth edition of the report. 

• It represents the most up-to-date information available on the prevalence of modern slavery. 

• The data used in this edition is based on estimates from 2022, providing insights into the current state of modern slavery.

• One of the key aspects examined by the Global Slavery Index is the prevalence of modern slavery within different countries. 

• To determine this, the index calculates the incidence of modern slavery per 1000 population. 

• This measurement provides a standardized way to compare the scale of modern slavery across countries.