Which countries have the highest prevalence rate of modern slavery per capita?
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Executive summary
The Global Slavery Index (Walk Free) and related reporting identify several conflict‑affected and fragile states as having the highest prevalence of modern slavery per capita — for example South Sudan (about 10.3 per 1,000 people) and other high‑prevalence countries that the Index highlights among 160 nations [1] [2]. Global estimates place roughly 50 million people in modern slavery in 2021, underscoring that prevalence per capita and absolute totals tell different stories: large countries can have high totals while smaller, fragile states can have higher rates per 1,000 residents [3] [4].
1. What "highest prevalence per capita" means and why it matters
Prevalence per capita is the number of people in modern slavery per unit of population (Walk Free reports per 1,000 or per 100,000), not the raw count; this measure highlights the intensity of the problem inside a country and more closely links to governance failure, conflict and vulnerability than absolute totals do [5] [6]. Analysts use prevalence to compare risk across very different population sizes — a small conflict state with 10.3 slaves per 1,000 residents is proportionally worse off than a populous country with millions of victims but a lower rate [2] [4].
2. Which countries the Global Slavery Index flags as worst affected by prevalence
Walk Free’s 2025 reporting and media summaries list several countries with the highest prevalence rates across regions — South Sudan is explicitly cited with a prevalence of 10.3 per 1,000, and other countries in lists of “highest prevalence” include fragile, conflict‑affected states such as Sudan, Somalia, North Korea and Afghanistan among the top ranks in various summarised reports [2] [7] [6]. The Index notes that the countries with highest prevalence tend to be conflict‑affected, subject to state‑imposed forced labour, or have weak governance [1].
3. Large countries: high totals but different per‑capita picture
India and China appear at the top of global totals because of their population size — for example, India is reported with about 11 million people in modern slavery (8.0 per 1,000 in one summary) and China with approximately 5.8 million victims in a Statista summary of Walk Free/ILO figures — but India’s prevalence rank is mid‑table (rank 75/160 in one summary), illustrating that highest totals do not necessarily mean highest prevalence per capita [7] [4]. Media coverage emphasizes both absolute numbers and prevalence, which can create confusion without careful reading of the Index metrics [5] [4].
4. Why fragile states show up with the worst rates
Walk Free links the highest prevalence rates to three characteristics: conflict or displacement, state‑imposed forced labour, and weak governance — crises that amplify vulnerability [1] [6]. The Index and partners also warn that displacement, climate shocks, and breakdowns in law and services raise the risk of exploitation; reporting cites climate‑related displacement and humanitarian crises as drivers that worsen prevalence [8] [6].
5. Data limitations and competing estimates
Global aggregates and country rankings have methodological differences. The ILO/IOM/Walk Free global estimates group places roughly 50 million people in modern slavery in 2021 (28 million in forced labour, 22 million in forced marriage) — a larger, multi‑agency estimate that complements Walk Free’s country‑by‑country prevalence work [3] [9]. Sources caution that different definitions, survey reach and hidden populations mean estimates vary; some summaries give 49.6 million or 50 million depending on the dataset and methods [10] [3].
6. How to read headlines and policy takeaways
Headlines that list “top countries” often mix measures (per‑capita prevalence, absolute numbers, vulnerability scores, or government response ratings). The Global Slavery Index provides prevalence per 1,000 and vulnerability and government response scores; the clearest policy use of prevalence is to prioritize protection and governance reform in high‑rate countries, while absolute numbers point to where large rescue and survivor support systems are needed [5] [6]. Walk Free itself emphasizes that prevalence clusters in conflict‑affected or governance‑weak states [1].
7. What reporting does not say or where sources diverge
Available sources do not list a single, definitive ranked table in these snippets that names every top country with exact prevalence values beyond examples like South Sudan (10.3 per 1,000) and the India total; full ranked lists and precise per‑country rates must be read directly from the Walk Free Global Slavery Index country pages or the full dataset [2] [1]. Different outlets and aggregators (Statista, national press, Walk Free summaries) present totals and rates in varying formats, so check the original Index for the metric you want [4] [7].
Sources referenced: Walk Free Global Slavery Index and country pages, summary reporting and aggregators as cited in: Walk Free (Global Slavery Index) [1] [6], media summaries listing top prevalence countries [7] [2], Statista on country totals [4], ILO/IOM global estimates [3] [9], and context reporting on drivers of modern slavery [8].