Pakistan has third largest number of ‘slave’ population, says report

LONDON: An estimated 3.19 million Pakistanis are estimated to be trapped in slavery, the third highest number in the world, a local media outlet reported on Monday.

Poverty, crime and conflict are among the primary reasons why modern day slavery persists, with the Walk Free Foundation and the United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO) estimating the total number of people affected to be 40 million.

India tops the list with approximately 8 million people followed by China, Pakistan, North Korea and Nigeria.

However, North Korea has the highest percentage of its population enslaved with one in ten enslaved.