More than 700,000 people were victims of human trafficking in Florida in 2024, according to a disturbing new study released by the University of South Florida. The report highlights the grim scale of the crime in the third most populous state in the U.S., where nearly 100,000 children were found to have been trafficked for sex. Drawing on data from over 30 agencies, nonprofits, and public surveys, the researchers estimate that around 500,000 individuals were subjected to labor trafficking, with the remaining 200,000 exploited in sex trafficking networks. Of those trafficked for sex, about half were minors.
The study was compiled by the university’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Risk to Resilience Research Lab, led by Director Joan Reid. It marks the first time such a comprehensive analysis has been conducted using cross-sector data, including contributions from the Florida Department of Children and Families. “Human trafficking is considered a hidden crime and its victims are often invisible,” said Reid, who emphasized the importance of shedding light on these realities. “The key objective of this report is to make the hidden and invisible visible to those who have the responsibility to act.”
Florida’s vulnerability to trafficking is attributed to several factors: its large and transient population, frequent international events, multiple airports and seaports, and the dominance of low-wage industries like agriculture, construction, and tourism. The Florida Policy Institute estimates that nearly 400,000 undocumented workers are employed across these key sectors, many of whom are especially vulnerable to labor exploitation due to their immigration status and limited legal protections.
The report also points out that disrupting human trafficking remains one of the most urgent challenges for Florida’s law enforcement, policymakers, and service providers. While there have been some recent successes—such as a May 2024 undercover operation that resulted in the arrest of 255 individuals for offenses including prostitution and child exploitation—Reid noted that significant questions remain about the efficacy of current approaches to prevention, protection, prosecution, and policy.
Commissioned under a 2023 state law, the report is part of a new initiative designating the TIP lab as the central repository for anonymous trafficking data. The legislation mandates annual reporting to track trends and evaluate the effectiveness of state-funded anti-trafficking programs over time. Democratic state senator Darryl Rouson, who sponsored the bill, said the findings would play a critical role in improving responses and supporting survivors. “This report will make a substantial impact on anti-trafficking efforts, resulting in many adults and children being spared from the devastating consequences of human trafficking,” Rouson said.
Reid described the effort to compile the report as painstaking, citing the difficulty of coordinating data from so many sources. “A report like this had not been done in the past because it seemed impossible to gather all these strands of data located with so many different organizations,” she said, adding that the insights gained will serve as a roadmap for more effective, evidence-based policy decisions going forward.
