Atlas of Enslavement

The Atlas of Enslavement provides an overview of the many forms of coercion and exploitation in various branches of the global world economy. In doing so, it creates awareness of the invisible realities of modern slavery. Through vivid graphics and with detailed facts, the educational material sheds light on the situation in different regions of the world.

Data and facts about forced labor and exploitation of enslavement

Here you can download the atlas. Concrete examples are used to show that the continuation of this inhumane practice is a global problem.

Download the Atlas and its Materials here!

7 Facts about Slavery Worldwide

Enslavement Today

Pie charts showing ILO estimates of key data on modern slavery for the years up to 2016.

What is modern slavery? There are many different answers to this question. Three criteria are among the minimum common denominators of a definition: lack of consent, use or threat of violence, and exploitation. The criteria may also include structural violence and poverty if they lead people into slavery because they have no alternative. Furthermore, modern forms of slavery are present if working conditions are classified as illegal or if they exceed certain limits of the reasonably possible

Capitalism, only possible through enslavement and expropriation

Graphic showing the top 5 importing countries and products that may contain the labor of enslaved people (top 1 importing country: USA, top 1 product: cell phones, laptops, etc.).

A feature of the capitalist world economy is the use of forced labor in global supply chains. Thus, slavery arrives undetected to the consuming clientele of importing countries. Both states and corporations bear responsibility for this, for example through lack of social protection, lack of regulation, and demand for cheap products.

Child labor: How big corporations profit from it

Diagrams showing the extent of child labor in cocoa production in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.

Most research, media reports, and assumptions about child labor in this sector assume that these children often work long days, are exposed to dangerous pesticides and other chemicals, and often suffer injuries from the use of sharp knives or chainsaws. In February 2021, six young adults sued the world's largest chocolate companies: Nestlé, Cargill, Barry Callebaut, Mars, Olam, Hershey and Mondelez. They testified that they had been used as slave laborers and blamed the companies for at least part of their enslavement and that of other children. The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuits against Nestlé and Cargill. Nevertheless, the lawsuits reinforced the impression that child trafficking, child slavery and forced labor are widespread in this sector.

The assumption that slavery is a remnant of the past fails to reflect reality!

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Use and share!

This atlas is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution -4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
You can use the individual infographics of this atlas for your own purposes, if the copyright notice
"Bartz/Stockmar, CC BY 4.0" is written near the graphic, and "Bartz/Stockmar (M), CC BY 4.0" for adaptations.

With original contributions from

Dietmar Bartz, Remco Breuker, Katherine Brickell, Fiona de Hoog Cius, Franz Ebert, Liévin Feliho, Elise Gordon, Ellie Gore, Marion Guillaume, Kate Hodal, Toni Keppeler, Sandrine Kott, Genevieve LeBaron, Aya Majzoub, Janne Mende, Samuel Okyere, Bandana Pattanaik, Krishni Satchi, Luiza Soares Mariano Costa, Sue Thompson, Susan Tiefenbrun, Keno Verseck and Kim Weidenberg.

#Exploitation (external link, opens in a new window)#Atlas (external link, opens in a new window)#Slavery (external link, opens in a new window)#Colonialism (external link, opens in a new window)#Capitalism (external link, opens in a new window)