One Child Goes Missing Every 36 Minutes In Bihar: Data Reveals 14,699 Disappeared In 2025, 85% Were Girls

Shubham Kumar, Patna: The rising number of missing children cases in Bihar has escalated from a tracking issue in local police records to a humanitarian crisis. The trend has drawn significant attention from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and several child protection organisations, who are now pressing for more effective intervention and accountability from state authorities.

14,699 Children Were Reported Missing In 2025

According to a report by Jagran.com, a total of 14,699 children were reported missing from Bihar in 2025. While authorities recovered 7,772 of those children, 6,927 individuals remain missing. This gap means that every second family is still waiting for their children to return home.

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A Child Goes Missing Every 36 Minutes

Data from 2025 shows that an average of 1,225 children were reported missing every month in Bihar, translating to approximately 40 children per day. This means a child goes missing every 36 minutes, making it highly probable that a new case is reported by the time it takes for anyone to finish reading this report.

Nearly 12,000-14,000 People Reported Missing Every Year Since 2013

According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), 12,000 to 14,000 people have been reported missing in Bihar every year since 2013. Data shows that minor children account for a significant portion of these ongoing cases.

In response, the NHRC has sought special reports from Bihar and four other states.

85% Of Missing Children Are Girls

The most disturbing fact is that girls constitute a disproportionately large proportion of missing children. Of the 14,699 children reported missing in 2025, 12,526 were girls and 2,173 boys, meaning girls account for 85.2 per cent of all cases.

Police headquarters data indicate that the rate for girls going missing is nearly six times higher than that of boys.

An Increase Of 2,400 Cases In Just Two Years

According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), missing children cases in Bihar rose from 12,299 in 2023 to 14,699 in 2025. The increase of 2,400 cases represents a 19.5 per cent increase, nearly 20 per cent in just two years.

Under the SOP of the Bihar Police, if a missing child is not found within four months, the case is automatically transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU). While the state has 44 AHTUs, three airport surveillance units, special juvenile police units, and the Mission Vatsalya portal, recovery rates remain unsatisfactory.

Bihar Among Top Affected States

Bihar is among the top states in the country affected by missing children, alongside West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. Experts believe that a large population, poverty, migration and challenges of border areas make this crisis more serious.

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Patna - A Major Transit Hub For Human Traffickers

According to the report, the state's capital, Patna, is a major transit hub for human traffickers due to its extensive rail, road, and air connectivity. Police and child protection organisations identify Patna Junction, Rajendra Nagar Terminal, Danapur, Gardanibagh, Kankarbagh, Phulwari Sharif, and Patna City as the most vulnerable areas.

What Investigation Revealed?

According to investigating agencies, missing children from Bihar were taken to Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and areas bordering Nepal. These children are forced into networks of brick kilns, factories, domestic work, begging, forced marriage and sexual exploitation.

The Railway Protection Force's 'Operation Nanhe Farishte' rescued over 20,000 children in 2023 and more than 25,000 children in 2024, with a significant number of children from Bihar.

Average Missing Children By Time In Bihar (2025 Data)