The facts about trafficking, close to home.
What human trafficking is, what the numbers show in Canada and New Brunswick, and the myths that keep it hidden. Every figure links to its source.
Take the courseWhat human trafficking is.
Human trafficking is the recruitment and control of a person for exploitation, most often sexual exploitation and forced labour.
It rarely looks like the movies. It often relies on manipulation, coercion, deception or abuse of power.
Source: Statistics Canada (opens in a new tab), 2025
What the numbers show.
These are cases reported to police, so Statistics Canada says they likely underestimate how common trafficking really is.
- Worldwide 27.6M
people in forced labour on any given day, including forced commercial sexual exploitation.
Source: ILO (opens in a new tab), 2021
- In Canada 5,070
human trafficking incidents reported by police, 2014 to 2024.
Source: Statistics Canada (opens in a new tab), 2014–2024
- Rising 3×
as many incidents reported in 2024 (608) as in 2014 (200).
Source: Statistics Canada (opens in a new tab), 2014–2024
- Who it hurts 93%
of identified victims were women and girls.
Source: Statistics Canada (opens in a new tab), 2014–2024
- Young people 63%
of victims were younger than 25.
Source: Statistics Canada (opens in a new tab), 2014–2024
- New Brunswick 2.0
incidents per 100,000 people in 2024, above the national rate of 1.5.
Source: Statistics Canada (opens in a new tab), 2024
The Moncton–Halifax corridor.
The stretch of highway between Moncton and Halifax is a well-known human trafficking corridor in Atlantic Canada.
Moving people from place to place, across city and provincial lines, makes it harder for police to detect, investigate and pursue cases. It also keeps victims isolated from family and friends, which is how traffickers keep control.
Source: Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking (opens in a new tab), 2021
Four common myths.
- Myth 01
“Trafficking means being kidnapped by a stranger.”
The factsMost often, it's someone they know: in Canada, usually an intimate partner or an acquaintance.
From 2014 to 2024, the person accused was most often the victim's intimate partner (34%), followed by an acquaintance.
- Myth 02
“It only happens in big cities far from here.”
The factsIt happens here. In 2024, New Brunswick's rate of police-reported trafficking was above the national rate, and Nova Scotia's was triple it.
In 2024, police reported 2.0 incidents per 100,000 people in New Brunswick (17 incidents) and 4.5 in Nova Scotia, against 1.5 for Canada as a whole.
- Myth 03
“Victims are adults who knew the risk.”
The factsMany aren't adults. More than one in five victims identified by police in Canada were under 18.
From 2014 to 2024, the largest group of victims (41%) were aged 18 to 24. Trafficking often relies on manipulation, coercion, deception or abuse of power.
- Myth 04
“If it were common, we would see it in the news.”
The factsIt's hidden and under-reported. Statistics Canada says police figures likely underestimate how common it is.
Trafficking is hard to detect because it is hidden, and many victims are reluctant to report it to authorities.
Take the course.
A short course on what trafficking is and what's happening in Canada, ending with how you can help.
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