Canada’s record human trafficking numbers just ‘the tip of the iceberg,’ expert says

Data released on Monday looked at human trafficking data from 2014 to 2024 nationally and found that during the 10-year span, there were 5,070 incidents reported by police — an annual average rate of 1.2 incidents per 100,000 people. In 2024, the national average was at 1.5 with 608 incidents reported. Julia Drydyk, executive director of the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, said the numbers tell a story. “The data issued by Statistics Canada and also data from the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline is only the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “We estimate that less than 10 per cent of human trafficking survivors are willing to engage with law enforcement as part of their journey.”

• Record human trafficking numbers just ‘the tip of the iceberg’ in Canada