Top 10 African countries with the highest human trafficking rate

Human trafficking remains a grave and complex issue across Africa, affecting millions of individuals annually. It is a multifaceted problem fueled by poverty, unemployment, political instability, armed conflict, and weak governance.

Human trafficking involves the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, including children, women, and men, for forced labor, sexual exploitation, and other forms of modern slavery.

Africa is both a source and a destination for human trafficking as traffickers exploit people within the continent and transport victims across international borders.

Key trafficking routes span West, East, and North Africa, with many victims ending up in the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.

Human trafficking involves the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for forced labor, and other forms of modern slavery

Human trafficking in Africa has recently taken an alarming turn following the desperate moves by individuals who seek greener pastures. Apart from abducted victims, one of the most vulnerable group are those seeking to migrate through any available means.

The 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed notable increases in victim identification and trafficking convictions between 2022 and 2023. In 2023, 133,943 victims were identified, up from 115,324 in 2022, while convictions rose from 5,577 to 7,115 during the same period.

An analysis of data by geographical regions reveals distinct patterns in trafficking across Sub-Saharan Africa. Child trafficking is more frequently identified in West Africa compared to other parts of the region.

In contrast, East and Southern Africa report higher proportions of adult victims. East African nations predominantly detect adult males, whereas Southern African countries report higher numbers of trafficked women.

Domestically, victims are often exploited in sectors such as agriculture, mining, and domestic work and children represented more than 75% of trafficking victims detected in West Africa.

"Although found in every country and every region, trafficking in persons remains a hidden crime, with perpetrators operating in the dark corners of the internet and the underbelly of the global economy to entrap victims for sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude and other forms of exploitation." the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director, Ghada Waly noted.

The table below by the African Crime Index ranks African countries with the highest human trafficking index score;

During the reporting period, victims from Sub-Saharan Africa were identified or repatriated from various subregions across the globe, highlighting the region as a significant source of human trafficking cases worldwide.

Notably, victims from all parts of Africa were detected in substantial numbers in Western and Southern Europe. Additionally, victims from West and East Africa were frequently found in North Africa, the Middle East, including Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as well as in East Asia and North America.

The Department of State classifies countries into four tiers based on their efforts to meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) minimum standards:

- Tier 1: Countries fully meeting TVPA standards

- Tier 2: Countries not fully meeting TVPA standards but making significant efforts

- Tier 2 Watch List: Countries with severe forms of trafficking or inadequate efforts to combat trafficking

- Tier 3: Countries not meeting TVPA standards and not making significant efforts

Several nations demonstrated meaningful progress in combating human trafficking. Algeria, Chad, Guinea-Bissau, and Curaçao advanced from Tier 3 to the Tier 2 Watch List, while the Republic of Korea and Suriname moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1.

The TIP Report also places greater emphasis on prevention strategies, particularly those targeting demand reduction, as a key factor in determining a country's tier ranking.