Women Account for 61% of Delhi's Missing Persons in 2025: Alarming Gender Disparity Revealed

Women represent 61 percent of Delhi's missing persons in 2025, according to recent data released by Delhi Police. Out of 19,682 individuals reported missing until October 15, 11,917 were women.

Men constituted the remaining 39 percent (7,765) of missing persons cases. From the total number of missing individuals, authorities have successfully traced 55 percent (10,780) - including 6,541 women and 4,239 men.

Children made up 25 percent (4,854) of missing persons while adults accounted for 75 percent (14,828). Among those found, 3,337 were children (31 percent) and 7,443 were adults (69 percent).

The statistics highlight a concerning trend: women and girls form the most vulnerable demographic among missing persons. Of the missing children, an alarming 72 percent (3,509) were girls, while boys accounted for only 28 percent (1,345). Among adults, women represented 57 percent (8,408) of missing cases compared to 43 percent (6,420) for men.

Analysis by age groups reveals varied patterns. In the 0-8 years category, 304 children were reported missing - with girls comprising 41 percent (124) and boys 59 percent (180). Police managed to locate 60 percent of these missing girls and 51 percent of the boys.

For children aged 8-12 years, 383 went missing - 33 percent (127) girls and 67 percent (256) boys. The recovery rate was slightly better in this category, with 72 percent of girls and 76 percent of boys being found.

Teenagers emerged as the most vulnerable group, with 4,167 children between 12-18 years reported missing. Girls represented an overwhelming 78 percent (3,258) of these cases, while boys accounted for just 22 percent (909). Police traced 68 percent of these missing teenage girls and 72 percent of the boys.

The data clearly indicates that teenage girls face particularly high risks, both in absolute numbers and proportionally.

This concerning pattern isn't new. In 2024, Delhi reported 24,893 missing persons, with women and girls comprising 59 percent (14,752) of cases. Authorities managed to locate 61 percent (15,260) of these individuals.

A ten-year analysis from 2015 to 2025 reveals approximately 251,000 missing persons cases in Delhi, with women accounting for 56 percent (142,037) and men for 44 percent (109,737).

These statistics demonstrate that the disproportionate representation of females among missing persons has remained a consistent trend over the years. In 2023, women comprised 58 percent of 24,481 missing persons, and similarly in 2022, they represented 58 percent of 23,818 cases, revealing a persistent gender disparity in missing persons reports in Delhi.