The 2024 Eurostat human trafficking statistics – published in January 2026 – provide an important insight into the scale, patterns and trends of human trafficking across the EU and allow for comparison across EU Member States, as well as for comparison with La Strada International (LSI)’s Data Report 2024, based on the information reported by our members.
Read the full article here: Reflecting on the 2024 Eurostat Human Trafficking Data
When compared with our members’ statistical data for the same year, both similarities and differences emerge. According to Eurostat, 9,678 victims of trafficking were registered across the EU in 2024, marking an 8% decrease compared to the previous year. Interestingly, data received from our members show instead an increase in the number of registered victims. LSI members registered a total of 6,372 (presumed) victims, with 5,785 persons being recorded within the EU. This represents a 4,5% increase compared to the previous year.
These differences can be explained, at least in part, by distinct data collection approaches. Eurostat figures are based on information provided by national authorities and depend on national definitions, procedures and recording practices, whereas LSI member data reflects the number of people referred to and assisted by specialised organisations with indicators of trafficking, including those not yet formally identified.
When looking at country-level changes, caution is also needed. In several Member States, reported “decreases” or “increases” between 2023 and 2024 amount to only one to four cases, which are minimal shifts in absolute terms and should not be over-interpreted as broader trends.
Both Eurostat and LSI data confirm that sexual exploitation remains the most commonly registered form of human trafficking, followed by labour exploitation. Eurostat reports that in 2024 sexual exploitation accounted for 46% of registered cases, labour exploitation for 37%, and other forms for 16%, reflecting a slight increase in both sexual and labour exploitation compared to 2023. Eurostat country data also suggests a gradual shift across Member States, with labour exploitation being the dominant form in more countries in 2024 than in 2023.
Eurostat’s categorisation still largely captures trafficking through two main lenses – sexual and labour exploitation -while grouping all other forms under a broad “other” category. Reporting on the remaining forms may improve after the transposition of the revised EU Anti-Trafficking Directive. LSI members, however, already reported a small number of cases linked to forced marriage in three EU countries and illegal adoption in one EU country in 2024. LSI data also provides additional insight into sectors affected by labour exploitation, most commonly domestic work and care, agriculture, construction, hospitality and transport, with smaller numbers recorded in areas such as car washing, factory work and forestry.
Furthermore, Eurostat and LSI figures closely align in showing that most registered and assisted persons are third-country nationals, with Eurostat reporting 64% and LSI members reporting 66%. Gender patterns are similarly consistent, with Eurostat indicating that 63% of registered persons were women and girls, while LSI reports 67%. Eurostat also highlights that in several Member States, including Portugal, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Cyprus and Croatia, more men than women were identified in 2024.
Taken together, Eurostat and LSI data confirm that trafficking remains widespread across the EU and beyond, with labour exploitation increasingly prominent and women and migrants strongly represented among those registered and assisted. Both sources also point to the likelihood that official figures underestimate the true scale of trafficking, reinforcing the need to strengthen identification systems and ensure institutional and civil society data can jointly inform effective, rights-based responses.
Read the full article here: Reflecting on the 2024 Eurostat Human Trafficking Data