Missing Children Analysis (2022–2023)
Types of Missing Child Cases
Runaways: 93% of missing child reports involve children who voluntarily leave home. Additionally, 95% of missing-child entries in 2022 were runaways.
Parental/Family Abductions: 4.1% of missing child cases in 2023 were abductions by a parent or other family member. Family abductions are more common than stranger kidnappings and can have serious emotional and psychological effects on the child.
Non-Family/Stranger Abductions: Only 1% of missing children reports involve non-family abductions. Stranger kidnappings made up just 0.1% of missing child entries in 2022. “Stereotypical” kidnappings—where a child is abducted with intent to harm or ransom—account for less than 1% of cases.
Other Categories (Lost, Injured, etc.): The remaining 4% of missing child cases in 2022 were classified under other mandatory categories (e.g., missing due to disability, accidents, or unknown circumstances). Many of these cases involve children with physical/mental disabilities or special circumstances that make them more vulnerable.
Statistics on Missing Children (2022–2023)
Annual Volume of Cases and Trends: 359,000 missing child reports were entered into the FBI’s NCIC in 2022, and 375,000 missing-child entries were recorded in 2023. On average, 1,000 children are reported missing each day in the U.S., with many reports being short-term cases, particularly runaways who return home.
NCMEC Cases vs. Law Enforcement Reports: NCMEC assisted with 28,886 missing child cases in 2023, up from 27,700 cases in FY2022. NCMEC cases are typically more complex or high-risk, as not all runaway cases reach their level.
Resolution Rates: 88% of missing children cases assisted by NCMEC in 2023 were resolved. In 2023, 563,000 missing person reports (all ages) were entered, and 563,644 were purged, indicating that most cases were resolved in the same year. Additionally, 48% of endangered runaways are recovered within a week.
Long-Term Missing Children: As of December 31, 2022, NCIC still had 97,127 active missing person records—with 30,522 (31%) being juveniles under 18. As of December 31, 2023, NCIC listed 29,451 active missing children. These figures suggest a core group of unresolved cases that persist over time.
Graph 1: Types of Missing Child Cases
This donut chart illustrates the distribution of missing child case types.
- Runaways: 93%
- Parental/Family Abductions: 4.1%
- Non-Family/Stranger Abductions: 1%
- Other Categories: 4%
"The vast majority of missing children cases are runaways, with abductions and other cases representing a much smaller portion."
Graph 2: Annual Volume of Missing Child Cases
This bar chart compares the annual volume of missing child reports for 2022 and 2023.
- 2022: 359,000 cases
- 2023: 375,000 cases
"An increase in the volume of missing child reports from 2022 to 2023."
Graph 3: NCMEC Assisted Cases Trend
This line chart shows the trend in NCMEC assisted missing child cases from FY2022 to 2023.
- FY2022: 27,700 cases
- 2023: 28,886 cases
"A modest increase in the number of cases handled by NCMEC indicates growing complexity or reporting rates."
Key Takeaways
- The overwhelming majority of missing children cases are runaways.
- There is a noticeable increase in annual missing child reports from 2022 to 2023.
- NCMEC is increasingly involved in handling more complex or high-risk cases.
- Resolution rates are high, though a significant number of long-term cases persist.