Missing Persons in the UK – The Statistics

Every year, thousands of people are reported missing across the UK.

Some are found within hours. Others may be missing for days, weeks, months or even years. For the families and friends left searching, the uncertainty can be incredibly difficult.

The latest figures from the UK Missing Persons Unit (UKMPU), part of the National Crime Agency, help show the scale of missing-person cases across the UK.

Nearly 300,000 missing-person incidents

During 2024/25, police recorded 299,983 missing-person incidents across the UK.

It is important to understand that this does not mean almost 300,000 different people disappeared.

Some people, particularly vulnerable adults and young people, may go missing more than once. Each occasion can be recorded as a separate missing-person incident.

In England and Wales alone, there were 280,520 missing incidents involving 141,810 individual people.

Of those individuals, 68,230 were children and 73,580 were adults.

Children and young people

Children represent a significant proportion of missing-person reports.

There were 183,024 incidents involving missing children in England and Wales during 2024/25.

Children in care are particularly represented within these figures. During the same period, there were 61,772 missing reports involving children in care, relating to 14,292 individual children.

On average, those children experienced 4.3 missing episodes each.

Behind each of these incidents is a young person whose circumstances may be complex and who may be particularly vulnerable while away from home or care.

Most missing people are found

One reassuring part of the statistics is that the overwhelming majority of missing people are located.

In 2024/25, 89.6% of missing people were located within 24 hours.

Within 28 days, that figure increased to 98.9%.

However, for some families the search continues much longer. A person can remain missing for months, years or even decades, and long-term missing-person cases should never be forgotten simply because time has passed.

High-risk missing-person cases

Every missing-person case has its own circumstances and level of risk.

During 2024/25, approximately 25% of missing-person incidents across the UK were classified as high risk.

There were also 66,255 missing incidents carrying a mental-health flag. Comparable data for Northern Ireland was not available for this figure.

Sadly, not every missing-person investigation has a positive outcome. During 2024/25, 919 missing-person incidents had a fatal outcome, compared with 1,070 during the previous reporting period.

Unidentified people

There is another side to missing-person investigations: cases where a person has been found but their identity remains unknown.

As of 31 March 2025, the UK Missing Persons Unit database contained 1,097 unidentified cases.

These included 865 unidentified bodies, 193 body parts and 39 living unidentified people.

These are cumulative cases held on the UKMPU database rather than cases that all occurred during 2024/25.

Identifying an unknown person can potentially provide answers to a family who has spent years wondering what happened to someone they love.

Every number represents someone

Missing-person statistics help us understand the scale of the issue, but numbers can never tell the whole story.

A missing person is someone's child, parent, partner, sibling, relative or friend.

While most people reported missing are found quickly, thousands of families experience the fear and uncertainty that comes with someone disappearing. For families of people who remain missing long-term, that uncertainty can continue for many years.

Sharing information, keeping cases visible and continuing to talk about those who remain missing can all play a part in ensuring they are not forgotten.

Source: UK Missing Persons Unit (UKMPU), National Crime Agency, Missing Persons Data Report 2024/25. Figures cover the reporting period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

Disclaimer & Information

The information and missing person posters displayed on this website are based on publicly available police appeals, official statements, or information released with permission at the time of publication.

While every effort is made to ensure all information is accurate and up to date, details may change as investigations progress. Any updates, amendments, or removals will be made as quickly as reasonably possible once new official information becomes available. This website cannot guarantee the continued accuracy or completeness of information after publication.

Posters and appeals will be removed or updated as quickly as reasonably possible once a missing person has been safely located, identified, or an official update has been issued by the relevant authorities.

This website is intended solely to help raise awareness of missing person appeals and to support the sharing of official information within the community.

If you have information regarding any missing person featured on this website, please contact the relevant police force directly by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency. Do not attempt to approach, detain, or investigate any individual yourself.

All names, images, and appeal information remain the property of their respective owners, police forces, or originating organisations where applicable.

If you are a family member, legal representative, or authorised agency and would like information amended or removed, please make contact through the website contact page.

This website does not collect reports of sightings and is not affiliated with any police force, government agency, or official missing persons organisation unless explicitly stated.