An estimated 50 million people are living in modern slavery around the world, according to the 2023 Global Slavery Index report compiled by the human rights charity Walk Free. The group defines modern slavery as any kind of forced labour or marriage, debt bondage, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
North Korea, Eritrea and Mauritania have the highest prevalence of modern slavery in the world, with three Arab countries in the top 10 for the first time which also saw solar panels on the list, with evidence pointing to renewable industries relying on forced labour.