Walk Free Foundations, an Australian-based organization, cited through the Global Slavery Index that there are about 29 million people worldwide who live in reality of modern slavery daily.

This salary index is the very first of its type that seriously looks on the most precise and comprehensive measure of modern slavery across different countries.

Walk Free Foundations defines modern slavery as an encompassing term for "human trafficking, forced labor, slavery or slavery-like practices that include debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, sale or exploitation of children, including armed conflicts, victims of modern slavery with their freedom denied, and are used and controlled and exploited by another person for profit, sex, or the thrill of domination."

"It would be comforting to think that slavery is a relic of history, but it remains a scar on humanity on every continent. This is the first slavery index but it can already shape national and global efforts to root out modern slavery across the world. We now know that just ten countries are home to over three quarters of those trapped in modern slavery. These nations must be the focus of global efforts," Nick Grono, CEO of Walk Free Foundation, said.

"Most governments don't dig deeply into slavery for a lot of bad reasons. There are exceptions, but many governments don't want to know about people who can't vote, who are hidden away, and are likely to be illegal anyway. The laws are in place, but the tools and resources and the political will are lacking. And since hidden slaves can't be counted it is easy to pretend they don't exist. The Index aims to change that," Professor Kevin Bales, lead researcher on the Index, noted.

Global Slavery Index

  • Mauritania, a West African country, ranked first on the index with the highest estimated proportion of its population enslaved of any country in the world. The country's slavery is rooted deeply in its system of hereditary slavery. The country has an estimated 150,000 slaves in a population of only 3.8 million.
  • Haiti, a Caribbean nation where child slavery is widespread, is in second place with Pakistan.
  • India has the highest number of people enslaved in absolute terms, with approximately 14 million people in modern slavery - almost half of the total number worldwide.
  • China follows, with an estimated 2.9 million enslaved, and Pakistan comes in third with an estimate of over 2 million in modern slavery.
  • Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia, Thailand, Congo, Myanmar and Bangladesh make up the top 10 by absolute numbers.
  • Altogether, these countries account for more than 22 million of the 29.8 million people enslaved.
  • Asia and Africa are home to the vast majority of modern slaves.
  • Iceland, Irelandand the Ukraine tied with the lowest rankings in the Index.

"A lot of governments won't like hearing what we have to say," Grono told Agence France-Presse.

"Those governments that want to engage with us, we will be very open to engaging and looking at ways in which we can better measure the issue of modern slavery," he added.

The Global Slavery Index is endorsed by Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

"Most people think that slavery occured hundreds of years ago - wrong. It is happening today. Worldwide, even in Australia, there are some people working long hours, often in cruel jobs, and they can't leave. That's why I am so proud of the work that Andrew Forrest has done to alert people of what is going on, sometimes under our very noses, and to try to ensure that people aren't wittingly or unwittingly taking advantage of modern day slavery. We have to stamp it out. And thank you, Andrew Forrest, for helping us to do so," Abbott said.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and worldwide philanthropist Bill Gates is also endorsing the Global Slavery Index.

Other leaders and philanthropists who are endorsing the Global Slavery Index include Former Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Sir Richard Branson and Mo Ibrahim.

Even model Karlie Kloss expresses support for this slavery index.