Nova Scotia Reports Highest Number of Human Trafficking Cases: StatCan

The Halifax skyline is seen from Dartmouth, N.S. in a file photo. Adrian Wyld/TCPI/The Canadian Press

Nova Scotia saw the highest rate of human trafficking cases reported to police last year, with numbers showing the province saw three times as many cases compared to the national average, according to new data from Statistics Canada.

The report, “Trafficking in persons in Canada, 2024,” released on Dec. 8,  looked at the number of cases reported to police between 2014 and 2024, using data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey. It says that of the 5,070 reports to police nationwide, the majority of victims were women and girls.

Nova Scotia saw the highest rate of cases during the 10-year timeframe at 4.5 per 100,000 people, according to StatCan.

“The high rate of human trafficking in Nova Scotia has been attributed in part to its coastal location, with its ports and transportation links,“ the report said. ”Specifically, Nova Scotia serves as a key node in a human trafficking corridor that facilitates the movement of victims, either originating from, or passing through Atlantic Canada to other parts of the country.”

Human trafficking involves recruiting, transporting, sheltering, or controlling the movements of a person so they can be exploited, StatCan said, adding it was usually for sex trafficking or forced labour.

“Human trafficking does not require the crossing of international borders and can occur entirely within a single country,” the federal organization said.

The report found there was an average of 1.2 incidents per 100,000 people for most years of the data, but for 2024, that number increased to 1.5 incidents per 100,000 people.

StatCan said that the number of human trafficking cases reported to police has been on the rise, with nearly three times as many human trafficking incidents in 2024 compared to 2014.

“Human trafficking is difficult to detect and measure due to its hidden nature where victims are frequently unrecognized or misidentified, and many are reluctant to report the crime,” report author Danielle Sutton-Preddie said.

Provincial Numbers

Ontario saw the second-highest number of cases after Nova Scotia, with 2.3 incidents per 100,000 people.

Sutton-Preddie said this was attributed to the high population of the province, as well as multiple international border crossings, and a busy airport. She also said that Highway 401 was “a major trafficking route” that allows for rapid movement of victims between cities and into the United States.

The national average for the majority of the 10-year period was 1.2 per 100,000 people, with that number increasing to 1.5 in 2024. The agency said that in addition to Ontario, three other provinces “exceeded the national rate” in 2024, including Prince Edward Island (2.8), New Brunswick (2.0) and Saskatchewan (1.9).

It added that 83 percent of cases were in urban areas, with 45 percent of all incidents happening in five cities, including Toronto (1,038 incidents), Ottawa (416 incidents), Halifax (326 incidents), Montreal (272 incidents), and London (217 incidents).

The report noted that about three in five police-reported incidents of human trafficking (59 percent) did not make it through the court system. StatCan said for those cases that did, 90 percent resulted in the laying or recommendation of charges.

Human Trafficking Hotline

The StatCan report said there has also been a 35 percent increase in human trafficking cases identified by national charity the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, which was established in May 2019.

The organization provides support to anyone impacted by trafficking or exploitation through its multilingual hotline.

Sutton-Preddie said that the hotline identified 466 cases in 2024, involving 579 victims. This was a 35 percent increase from 2023.

The hotline received a record 5,100 calls in 2024, according to a Nov. 26 release.

Executive director of the Centre, Julia Drydyk, said the number spoke to the scale of human trafficking in Canada.

“It’s a clear sign that far too many people are being exploited and that Canada needs stronger, well-resourced supports,” she said.

“The rise in calls shows just how many victims and survivors are taking the first steps toward safety. It reminds us that survivors are instrumental in crafting their own exits — and Canada needs to match that courage with real prevention and trauma-informed support.”