Where does slavery still exist in 2014?

Slavery is still a very real and widespread problem. The slavery activity is often referred to as 'trafficking in persons' and is commonly measured by the global slavery index (GSI). The GSI in the United States is estimated to be between 57,000-63,000 people. The number is an overwhelming and unexpected reality in our modern world. An even more alarming concern is that this problem persists beyond US borders to a larger extent.

In Russia, the GSI is an overwhelming number between 490,000-540,000. Much of the forced labor in Russia consists of migrant workers from Kyrgzstan and illegal immigrants from surrounding regions such as North Korea. Many of the forced workers operate in construction, manufacturing, narcotics, or sex trade industries. Russia's large, porous border and institutionalized corruption have helped the slavery problem persist in the region.

Russia only ranks 49th on the GSI scale. This means that there are 48 countries that have larger forced labor workers. An even more startling fact: an estimated 29.8 million people are enslaved worldwide. With the massive increase in the global population, there are more people in slavery today, than at any other point in human history.

Related: Statistics about slavery

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