In this article we will list the 15 worst states for human trafficking in America using per capita statistics. Click to skip ahead and see the top 5 states for human trafficking in America.

You might think that human trafficking is something condemned for the poor countries, or the third world countries where 3 meals a day is a dream for most. However, the sad, harsh truth is that human trafficking is strongly prevalent in not just developing countries, but many developed countries as well. And due to the fact that this is a major criminal empire worth billions of dollars, you can never glean proper statistics. The total cases of human trafficking are likely to be a really minor fraction of the total number of cases that exist, which is perhaps one of the most horrifying sentences you will ever read.

On a global level, human trafficking exists in over a hundred countries. There are some surprising statistics, such as 30% of countries reporting that there are more women traffickers than men traffickers, and in some countries, women traffickers are the vast majority. On the other hand, there are the usual unsurprising and extremely depressing statistics, such as the fact that 79% of all human trafficking is for sexual exploitation while 18% is for human labor. If you want to learn about region specific causes, consider heading on over to 6 causes of human trafficking in Africa, India and US. However, this may be that women being trafficked are more visible, and hence, reported much more than the other forms of human trafficking. In some countries, especially in Africa, the vast majority of people trafficked are children.

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In the United States, there are several thousand cases reported each year. However, as mentioned earlier, these are only the ones which are reported, which means there are likely to be several tens of thousands of cases at a minimum each year. You can learn more about human trafficking stories in the US if you visit 10 human trafficking stories in America. According to Polaris, 11,500 situations were reported to the organization, which involved over 22,000 survivors. This is in the most powerful country in the world; imagine the situation in less developed countries. Every single of the 50 US states had human trafficking cases, though the number of course varied significantly. To determine the 15 worst states for human trafficking, we headed on over to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and used their statewise statistics to find out the number cases for each state. Since states with larger populations will by default generally have more cases, we also computed the cases per 100,000 people and used a composite scoring formula to come up with a more accurate and realistic ranking. You can compare this to the 15 top states for human trafficking in 2019 and assess any changes. So without further ado, let's take a look at the states which are giving America a bad name, starting with number 15:

15. Colorado

Colorado had 176 cases of human trafficking in 2019, and has set up its own Human Trafficking Program to rid the state of this disease. However, more needs to be done to prevent this business within the state.

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14. New York

While New York has implemented laws to deal with human trafficking, it has not attained the level of success it would have wished to, with 454 cases, and thus earned a spot on this list.

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13. Maryland

While Maryland may have only had 187 cases, with a small population that still becomes a cause for concern.

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12. Louisiana

Louisiana had around 30 cases less than Maryland, but a population dip of 1.5 million people comparatively, and hence, ranks higher on our list of 15 worst states for human trafficking in America.

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11. Arizona

Arizona reported a total of 234 cases of human trafficking in 2019. To counter growing human trafficking in the state, Arizona has established the Arizona Human Trafficking Council.

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10. Mississippi

There were a total of 148 human trafficking cases reported in MS in 2019. This may not sound like a large number but the total population of Mississippi is slightly less than 3 million. Mississippi has the tenth highest human trafficking rate in the country (1 out of every 20,000 people in Mississippi), which is a significant cause of concern for the state.

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9. Missouri

In Missouri, the most common businesses disguising human trafficking were landscaping services, beauty services and traveling sales crews. There were a total of 234 cases reported in 2019.

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8. Washington

Despite being the first state to pass a law which criminalized human trafficking as well as passing the most strict law regarding the same, Washington has still been unable to rid itself from this criminal enterprise. There were a total of 272 human trafficking cases reported in Washington in 2019.

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7. Michigan

Human trafficking is present everywhere in the world and Michigan is no exception, where disturbingly sexual exploitation of a minor is a very common occurrence. There were a total of 364 human trafficking cases reported in Michigan in 2019.

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6. Nevada

Nevada has a very high rate of human trafficking in the country, and hence, is easily able to feature in our list of 15 worst human trafficking states in America. There were a total of 239 cases reported in Nevada in 2019. Nevada's population is slightly less than 3.1 million, so 1 out of every 13,000 people in Nevada is a victim of human trafficking.

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Click to see the top 5 states for human trafficking in America.

Disclosure: 15 Worst States For Human Trafficking In America is originally published at Insider Monkey.