OTTAWA – More than half of human trafficking incidents in Canada were unsolved by police as the number of incidents increased since 2013, Statistics Canada said on Friday.

Total 58 percent of human trafficking incidents were not solved, which could be due to several factors, including the incident still being under investigation, having insufficient evidence to proceed, and no accused person having been identified, according to the national statistical agency.

Over 4,500 incidents of human trafficking were reported by police services from 2013 to 2023, representing an average annual rate of 1.1 incidents per 100,000 population, said the agency.

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Overall, there has been a general year-over-year increase in the number with the biggest jump occurring from 2018 to 2019, it added.

The vast majority of the victims were women and girls and about one-quarter were children and youth younger than 18 years, the agency said.

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Official statistics provided only a partial picture of human trafficking in Canada due to its hidden and underreported nature, said Statistics Canada.