The number of people living in modern slavery worldwide has increased by 25% over the last decade.
NOT BSTOTAL BS
MOSTLY BS — Verdict: Mostly False
Verified by Lenz ·
The Short Version
The evidence supports a roughly 25% increase in modern slavery, but not over a decade. The main global estimates show an increase from about 40.3 million in 2016 to 50 million in 2021, which is a five-year change. Saying this happened “over the last decade” misstates the timeframe and materially alters the claim’s accuracy.
Caveats
The 25% figure is tied to 2016-2021, not a ten-year period.
A widely repeated media phrasing appears to conflict with the underlying primary estimates.
Older global estimates use different baselines and methods; they do not support a 25% increase over a decade.