Key information

Below you will find key statistics and figures about missing
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Key statistics and figures

  • Someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK
  • Around 170,000 people are reported missing every year
  • There are nearly 330,000 reported missing incidents every year
  • An estimated 10,000 people have been missing for longer than 1 year
  • Each year in the UK, more people die while missing than by homicide
  • More adults than children are reported missing, but children are much more likely to go missing more than once, so 2/3 of incidents relate to children.

How many people go missing each year?  

  • Missing people: of the around 160,000 people reported missing over 88,000 are adults and nearly 72,000 are children
  • Missing incidents: of the nearly 330,000 reported incidents, 118,000 incidents relate to missing adults and almost 210,000 relate to missing children
  • Looked after children are at high risk of being reported missing. 1 in 10 looked-after children are reported missing compared to 1 in 200 children. Looked after children who are reported missing will be reported on average 6 times

Most of the people who are reported missing may be experiencing some kind of vulnerability or risk. This can be exacerbated by being missing, particularly where someone goes missing more than once.

How did we come up with these figures? The statistics were developed by Missing People using statistics in the National Crime Agency report 2023-2024. The figures used are the number of incidents (I.e. the total number of reports of someone going missing, including missing incidents) and the number of individuals (I.e. number of individual adults and children reported missing, which does not reflect repeat missing).

Under-reporting  

Research shows that police data is likely to be a significant underestimate. There are limitations to the National Crime Agency data, including differing recording practices and incomplete data, and some people will not be reported missing to the police at all. Research suggests that as many as 7 in 10 children are not reported to the police when they go missing. Little is known about adults who are not reported missing.

What is ‘missing’? 

There is not one multi-agency definition of missing, however for definition for police is “anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established will be considered as missing until located, and their well-being or otherwise confirmed.”

How long are people missing for?

Children

  • 81% of children are found within 24 hours, and 90% are found within 2 days. 3% of children will be missing for longer than a week.

Adults

  • 77% of adults are found within 24 hours, and 86% are found within 2 days. Only 6% of adults will be missing for longer than a week, and 3% for longer than a month.

Longer term missing

  • 8 in 10 people are found or return from missing within 24 hours, but 10,000 people have been missing for longer than 1 year

How old are people who go missing?

  • 6 in 10 (61%) of all missing incidents recorded by police are for 12-17 year olds
  • 2 in 10 (21%) are for 18-39 year olds
  • 1 in 10 (10%) are for 40-59 year olds
  • 1 in 20 (5%) are for 60+ year olds
  • 1 in 30 (3%) are for 0-11 year olds

Why do children and young people go missing?

There are a wide range of reasons why adults and children go missing, and often there is more than one cause. Some of the most common reasons for children to be missing are:

Conflict, abuse and neglect at home

  • More than half of missing children have experienced this and 1 in 5 felt forced to leave  

Sexual exploitation

  • 7 in 10 young people who have been sexually exploited have also been reported missing  
  • 1 in 7 of the children who completed return home interviews with Missing People had been sexually exploited  

Trafficking

  • 1 in 4 trafficked children who are looked after in local authority care have gone missing  
  • Nearly 1 in 10 children who completed return home interviews with Missing People had been a victim of criminal exploitation 

Mental health

  • 1 in 5 children who completed return home interviews with Missing People disclosed information about mental health issues  
  • 1 in 10 was at risk of self-harm  
  • 4% were at risk of suicide  

The most common reasons for going missing that are spoken about by children contacting our helpline are:

  • Conflict at home including being forced to leave
  • Mental health
  • Abuse (threat or experience)
  • Needing to get away, get some space or clear their heads

Research about the information shared in return home interviews can be found in A Safer Return

Research about the reasons why people go missing can be found in Lost from View

To access the above research and for more information about children and young people going missing, please visit Missing People’s research pages.

Why do adults go missing?

There is relatively little research about the reasons why adults go missing. Missing People is currently conducting research into this issue in order to better understand these factors and how to support adults affected by missing. From existing research, the most common reasons for adults to be missing are:

Diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health issues

  • Up to 8 in every 10 missing adults  

Relationship breakdown

  • 3 in 10 missing adults  

Dementia

4 in every 10 people with dementia will go missing at some point, often unintentionally  

Financial problems

  • 1 in 50 adults have stated this as a principal reason for missing  

Escaping violence

  • 1 in 50 missing adults

The most common issues raised in conversations with adults contacting our helpline are:

  • Mental health issues
  • Relationship breakdown
  • Conflict or feeling unsafe at home
  • Suicidal thoughts or intention
  • Needing to get away, get some space or clear their heads

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