NEW DELHI: More than 2.5 lakh people have gone missing in the national capital since 2015, with over 56 per cent of them being females, according to Delhi Police data.
Around 60,000 of the missing persons are yet to be traced, the data shows. Between 2015 and October 15, 2025, a total of 2,51,774 people were reported missing. Of them, 1,42,037 were females and 1,09,737 were males, the data stated.
The police have traced 1,92,518 people, including 1,08,750 females and 83,768 males. However, 59,256 people are still untraced — comprising 33,285 females and 25,969 males. In 2025 (till October 15), 19,682 people — 11,917 females and 7,765 males — were reported missing. Of these, 10,780 people (6,541 females and 4,239 males) have been traced.
The least number of missing persons were reported in 2020 (17,944), including 10,644 females and 7,300 males — the year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country.
The data also highlighted that the highest number of people — 24,893 — went missing in 2015. The year witnessed a total of 14,752 females and 10,141 males going missing. This was followed by 2016, when 24,670 went missing; 24,481 in 2023; 24,418 in 2019; 23,862 in 2018; 23,818 in 2022; 23,409 in 2016; 22,887 in 2017; 21,710 in 2021; 19,682 in 2025; and 17,944 in 2020, the data showed.
Among the 2.5 lakh missing people, 1,84,404 were adults and the remaining 67,370 were minors. The data also stated that there were 44,001 males and 98,036 women (adults). That was the most affected category. The number of missing kids was 67,370, out of which a total of 58,885 — 20,831 boys and 38,054 girls — were traced. In 2025, out of 4,854 missing children, 3,509 were girls and 1,345 were boys.
Among children aged 0 to 8 years, 42 per cent were girls (2,324) and 58 per cent (3,179) were boys. Out of these, 2,680 boys and 1,958 girls were traced, taking the total to 4,638. While 865 kids — 499 boys and 366 girls — are yet to be traced, the data showed.
In the 8–12 age group, 6,494 kids — 4,513 boys and 1,981 girls — went missing. Among these, 5,961 — 4,145 boys and 1,816 girls — were traced, leaving 533 kids who are yet to be traced. Similarly, 55,373 kids — 15,677 boys and 39,696 girls — went missing in the age group of 12 to 18 years. The police have successfully traced 87 per cent (48,286 kids), while 7,087 are yet to be traced, the data mentioned.
