From North Korea to Arab nations, these are the countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery in the world in 2023.

Walk Free, a human rights charity, has released a list of countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery or exploitation in the world, based on the *Global Slavery Index 2023*.

The index defines modern slavery as forced labor, forced marriage, debt bondage, forced commercial sexual exploitation, and human trafficking.

Of the 160 countries assessed by Walk Free, North Korea has the highest global prevalence of modern slavery, with 104.6 slaves per 1,000 people.

"In North Korea, 1 in 10 people are in modern slavery, mostly forced to work by the state," Walk Free wrote in its report.

Eritrea follows in second place, with a prevalence of modern slavery reaching 90.3 per 1,000 inhabitants. The government in this East African country has a mandatory military service program for citizens aged 18-40.

However, they are usually also forced to perform non-military work. "The duration of this national military service is unlimited; Eritrean citizens are reported to spend decades serving the government," said Walk Free.

This has caused 15% of the population, mainly Eritreans under 40, to flee the country to avoid military service.

Next is Mauritania with a prevalence of 32 per 1,000 inhabitants. According to the Walk Free report, minority groups in Mauritania experience discrimination in various areas, including education, employment, and access to public services.

Here is a complete list of the 10 countries with the highest prevalence rates in the world based on the Global Slavery Index 2023:

1. North Korea: 104.6 per 1,000 inhabitants
2. Eritrea: 90.3 per 1,000 inhabitants
3. Mauritania: 32 per 1,000 inhabitants
4. Saudi Arabia: 21.3 per 1,000 inhabitants
5. Turkey: 15.6 per 1,000 inhabitants
6. Tajikistan: 14 per 1,000 inhabitants
7. United Arab Emirates: 13.4 per 1,000 inhabitants
8. Russia: 13 per 1,000 inhabitants
9. Afghanistan: 13 per 1,000 inhabitants
10. Kuwait: 13 per 1,000 inhabitants