How many adults and children does the US Congress estimate are victims of human trafficking each year?

• A. 50,000
• B. 100,000
• C. 25,000
• D. 75,000

Answer: (A)

Estimating how many people are victims of human trafficking is hard because the crime is hidden and victims often don’t come forward. Policymakers rely on rough calculations from available data, including law enforcement reports, service-provider data, and survivor surveys, to arrive at a usable figure.

The commonly cited Congressional estimate for annual victims in the United States—adults and children combined—is about 50,000. This number is used as a baseline in policy discussions and training, reflecting the best available approximation rather than an exact count. Other figures like 25,000, 75,000, or 100,000 come from different studies or interpretations and are not the standard Congressional annual estimate in this context.