Human Trafficking

Current Data

In 2015, the NHTRC received 24,757 “signals” regarding human trafficking, which include phone calls, emails, and online tip 

reports. Of those, 5,544 were identified as unique cases of potential human trafficking. More than 75% of cases were related 

to sex trafficking, 13% were related to labor trafficking, and 3% were related to both sex and labor trafficking. More than 

1/3 of sex trafficking-related cases did not specify the industry of potential trafficking. The majority of cases—81% of labor 

trafficking and 63% of sex trafficking—involve adults. Comparatively, 33% of sex trafficking cases and 16% of labor trafficking 

cases involve children.A

2017 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Resource Guide: Crime and Victimization Fact Sheets

Human trafficking involves the use of force, coercion, or fraud to induce an individual into performing a commercial sex 

act (sex trafficking), or to subject them to involuntary servitude, debt bondage, or slavery (labor trafficking). Language 

barriers, lack of personal freedom, fear of harm to self or others, and fear of law enforcement often prevent victims 

from reporting their victimization or seeking services. As a result, human trafficking and any subsequent victimization 

is difficult to measure. Multiple agencies are charged with investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases, at 

both the federal and state level; however, their record-keeping systems do not allow for cross-referencing. The National 

Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, operates a 

24-hour hotline for trafficking victims and service providers and manages one of the most comprehensive data sets on 

human trafficking in the United States.

More than 90% of sex trafficking cases and 57% of labor trafficking cases involved women. Comparatively, only 4% of sex 

trafficking cases and 46% of labor trafficking cases involved men. Transgender men, transgender women, and gender nonconforming individuals each made up less than 1% of labor and sex trafficking cases. In most labor trafficking cases (63%) 

the victim was identified as a foreign national. For sex trafficking, 35% of reports involved U.S. citizens and 10% involved 

foreign nationals.A

Sex (75%)

Labor (13%)

Both sex and labor (3%)

Not specified (9%)

Potential Human Trafficking by TypeA

ustry of Poten.al Trafficking 

Labor Sex and Labor Not specified 

62.7

15.8

33.3

80.6

Sex

Labor

100%

Victims of Human TraffickingA

by industry and age

Adults Minors

Victims of Human TraffickingA

by industry and citizenship

14.8

Sex

Labor

100%

U.S. citizen Foreign national

62.8

9.6

34.7

Victims of Human TraffickingA

by industry and sex

91.4

46.2

4.1

57.0

Sex

Labor

100%

Women Men Transgender 

women

Transgender 

men

Gender 

non-conforming

0.8 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.1
SOURCES

A National Human Trafficking Resource Center, “National Human Trafficking 

Resource Center Data Breakdown 2015,” (U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services, 2016), https://humantraffickinghotline.org/

resources/2015-nhtrc-annual-report

B U.S. Department of Justice, “Attorney General’s Annual Report to Congress 

and Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking 

in Persons: Fiscal Year 2015,” (2016), https://www.justice.gov/ag/

file/870826/download

In 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted 

264 investigations connected to human trafficking in 2015, 

resulting in 419 arrests and 108 indictments. However, 

only 90 people were convicted of charges regarding human 

trafficking.B

Victims who are in the United States as a result of trafficking 

are eligible to apply for T nonimmigrant status, also called 

a T visa. A T visa allows victims who are not U.S. citizens 

to remain in the United States for up to four years if their 

removal would otherwise cause them extreme hardship. The 

visa allows victims to obtain employment and apply for Legal 

Permanent Residence. Certain family members of trafficking 

victims are also able to apply for a T visa, regardless of their 

current residence. Since 2011, the number of approved T visa 

applications for victims has increased almost 10%. However, 

approved applications for family members of victims have 

decreased almost 4%.

B

Services Provided to Victims of Human Trafficking

In 2015, 76% of people who received certification letters 

were victims of labor trafficking, 15% were victims of sex 

trafficking, and 9% were victims of both.B

Application Approval for T VisasB

2011

Victims

Victims’ family

2012 2013 2014 2015

1,000

557

610

848

975

0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

000 

722 694

FBI Investigations regarding Human TraffickingB

Investigations 264

Arrests

Indictments

Convictions

419

108

90

600

U.S. Health and Human Services Certification letters allow 

victims of severe forms of human trafficking who are not U.S. 

citizens to receive benefits and services from government 

programs. Adults who receive the letters must be willing to 

assist with the investigation and prosecution of the crime, 

and apply for a T visa (see below). Certification letters do 

not grant legal immigrant status. Since 2011, the number of 

certification letters issued to adults has increased by 35%. 

The number of letters issued to child victims has more than 

doubled.

B

HHS Certification Letters IssuedB

by victim age

2001

4

240

Adults

Children

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2015

800

194

623

2013 0 

200 

400 

600 

800 

2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 

463

101

HHS Certification Letters ReceivedB

by type of trafficking

Labor

Sex

Both

Sex (15%)

Labor (76%)

Sex and Labor (9%) 863 

letters