Graphic by The Economist Data Team
Many goods enjoyed in rich countries may have murky origin
IN THEORY slavery was completely abolished in 1981, when Mauritania became the last country to outlaw forced labour. In practice, however, it persists in many forms, some of them surprisingly blatant. In November CNN broadcast a grainy video depicting the auction of 12 migrant Nigerian men for farm work. When human trafficking and less extreme forms of coercion are included, slavery-like practices remain disturbingly common.
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