Number of Human Trafficking Cases Increased Nearly 400 Percent in Past Decade: StatCan

Statistics Canada's offices in Ottawa. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

Over the past decade, Canada has seen a 396 percent increase in the number of reported human trafficking cases, according to data from Statistics Canada.

StatCan released its Trafficking in Persons in Canada, 2023 report on Nov. 1, noting that while the number of reported cases dropped since 2022, there has been an increase over the past decade.

Human trafficking is defined by the federal government as situations where individuals recruit, move, or hold victims against their will and exploit them for profit. It often includes those forced into prostitution or to work as labourers.

In 2023, police reported 570 human trafficking incidents. That was down from 597 in 2022, StatCan said. A drop in the rate of trafficking was also seen in that same time period from 1.5 incidents per 100,000 people in 2022 to 1.4 incidents per 100,000 people in 2023.

However, the StatCan data shows that since 2013, when 115 cases of human trafficking were reported, there has been a 396 percent increase in the number of reported cases.

“Official statistics, while important, provide only a partial picture of human trafficking in Canada due to its hidden and underreported nature. Identifying incidents of human trafficking depends in part on police resources and expertise, as well as victims’ ability to recognize and report their experiences with trafficking,” the report said.

Between 2013 and 2023, a total of 4,500 incidents of human trafficking have been reported by police, according to StatCan.

The majority of reported human trafficking cases in Canada involved women or girls (93 percent), with 7 percent of victims being men or boys.

Nearly a quarter of victims (23 percent) were under the age of 18. Forty-two percent of victims were between 18 years and 24 years of age, StatCan said. Those aged 25 to 34 accounted for 23 percent of human trafficking victims.

Most human trafficking victims are coerced into it by an intimate partner (34 percent), according to StatCan data.

“A tactic employed by some traffickers involves drawing a potential victim into a romantic relationship with promises of love and affection, with the end goal of exploitation,” the report said.

Nearly a quarter were trafficked by a casual acquaintance (22 percent).

More Human Trafficking in Cities

The report found that the highest number of reported cases are in Ontario (2.1 incidents per 100,000 people) and Nova Scotia (6.3 incidents per 100,000 people).

“The high concentration of urban areas and the accessibility and large number of land border crossings in Ontario may explain the higher rates of human trafficking in the province,” the report says.

StatCan said that in Nova Scotia, the high numbers could be connected to geographical location. The report noted that previous research from advocates and police investigations indicates Nova Scotia is a “trafficking corridor” that is often used to move victims from Atlantic Canada to the rest of the country.

Data has also shown that 85 percent of human trafficking cases reported in the last decade were in urban centres. Five cities were particularly prone to the crime: Toronto (902 incidents, 20 percent of all incidents across Canada), Ottawa (388 incidents, 9 percent), Halifax (287 incidents, 6 percent), Montreal (264 incidents, 6 percent) and London (202 incidents, 4 percent).

Human Trafficking in the Courts

As for human trafficking cases that end up before the courts, a majority (84 percent) end with a dismissal, discharge, stay of charges, or withdrawal of charges. About 10 percent result in a guilty decision and 4 percent get an acquittal, StatCan data shows.

Not all reported cases lead to court charges, with 38 percent of incidents resulting in charges or recommendation of charges.

More than half of human trafficking cases go unsolved by police (58 percent).

Men and boys make up the majority of those accused in human trafficking cases (82 percent), StatCan numbers show. Most people accused of human trafficking are between 18 and 24 years old (39 percent) and 25 to 34 years old (36 percent).