Contemporary slavery

Institutions of slavery that continue to exist in the present day

Contemporary slavery, also sometimes known as modern slavery or neo-slavery, refers to slavery that continues to exist in the 21st century. Estimates of the number of enslaved people range from around 38 million to 49.6 million, depending on the method used to form the estimate and the definition of slavery being used. The estimated number of enslaved people is debated, as there is no universally agreed definition of modern slavery; those in slavery are often difficult to identify, and adequate statistics are often not available.

Also known as...modern slavery and slavery in the 21st century