According to official data from the police and government, the number of minors registered as victims of prostitution in France has increased by 43% over the past four years.

There has been a “disturbing” trend in the sexual exploitation of increasingly younger girls, according to warnings issued by the National Observatory on Violence Against Women (ONVF).

Data published under the auspices of the inter-ministerial unit for the protection of women against violence and the fight against human trafficking (MIPROF) indicates that law enforcement registered 704 minor victims in 2025. This marks a significant increase from 659 minors in 2024, representing a 43 percent rise since 2021.

704 victimes recensées en 2025: la prostitution des mineures continue de progresser en Francehttps://t.co/32yw98GFKc

— BFM (@BFMTV) April 10, 2026

Of the registered minor victims, 94 percent are girls. While there is no single “typical” profile, authorities and organizations note that the average age of victims is decreasing, with some cases involving girls as young as 12 or 13.

Many of these minors find themselves in vulnerable situations, often coming from difficult family backgrounds or being under the care of child protection services.

In contrast, the number of adult victims of prostitution-related crimes has decreased by 8 percent between 2021 and 2025, with 880 cases reported last year.

Authorities attribute the apparent rise in the number of minors partly to improvements in the identification and support of victims by police and organizations, rather than solely to an absolute increase in the phenomenon.

Experts suggest that the internet and social media platforms, particularly Snapchat and online advertisements, now play a central role in this issue.

According to the French non-profit organization Amicale du Nid, which supports victims, 86 percent of the minors they assisted in 2025 were approached by clients at least partially through digital means.

The number of final convictions for pimping, aggravated pimping, and related crimes has nearly doubled between 2017 and 2024. However, penalties imposed on clients remain relatively low: in 2025, 1,442 administrative proceedings were initiated, with significant regional variations.

Estimates regarding the overall scale of minor prostitution in France vary. Some organizations and previous reports suggest that thousands of minors may be involved, with a 2021 government estimate placing the figure between 7,000 and 10,000. Broader estimates suggest that around 40,000 individuals participate in prostitution in France. Unaccompanied foreign minors (MNA) are often identified by child protection services and organizations as particularly at risk of sexual exploitation.

Many come from West African countries such as Guinea, Mali, and Ivory Coast.

Reports indicate that some individuals placed in children’s homes or emergency shelters have been targeted by pimps, who are sometimes recruited directly from these shelters. Vulnerability is exacerbated by a lack of stable housing, language barriers, and limited supervision.

Aurore Bergé, the Minister for Gender Equality, described the sexual exploitation of minors in an interview with Le Figaro as “one of the most alarming manifestations” of the prostitution system.

She emphasized that exploitation is increasingly directed towards younger and more vulnerable individuals, whose bodies are treated as “exploitable, controllable, and monetizable resources.”

Organizations are calling for stricter action against both the men who exploit and traffic girls and their clients, as well as for improved interdisciplinary support for victims and education on equality and sexuality. They stress that minor prostitution represents a continuation of adult exploitation but comes with heightened risks. This increase has occurred despite the introduction of a law in 2016 aimed at combating the prostitution system and supporting exit programs.