According to the 2023 Global Slavery Index, modern slavery is present in every country, regardless of its wealth status. The index, published by the human rights charity Walk Free, has indicated that in 2021, around 50 million people were living in situations of modern slavery, with approximately 27.6 million of those people being in forced labor and 22 million in forced marriages.

The index indicated that the countries estimated to have the highest modern slavery rates tend to be “conflict-affected, have state-imposed forced labor and have weak governance.”

Out of 160 countries, North Korea, Eritrea and Mauritania are the top three countries that have the highest rates of modern slavery. The report mentioned that one in 10 people are enslaved in North Korea, with the majority being forced to work by the state, while also recognizing reports of the country’s women being lured or coerced into being sold as brides in China.

(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)