Slavery in the 21st century
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Contemporary slavery, also sometimes known as modern slavery or neo-slavery, refers to slavery that continues to exist in the 21st century. As of 2022, the International Labour Organization (ILO) reports there is an estimate of 50 million people living under the circumstances of modern slavery, specifically 28 million in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriages. Nonetheless, it is difficult to agree on an estimated number of enslaved people, as there is no universally agreed definition of modern slavery; those in slavery are often difficult to identify, and adequate statistics are often not available.
The International Labour Organization estimates that number based on their definition of modern slavery, which includes human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage, and the involuntary recruitment of children for armed conflict. Based on their concept, they claim that from the 50 million people exposed to slavery today, 17.3 million are exploited in the private sector which includes domestic work, construction or agriculture; 6.3 million people face forced sexual exploitation, and 3.9 million individuals are exposed to forced labour imposed by state authorities.