Nearly 13% of missing children have not been rescued: Police

A total of 15,717 children went missing from January to July in 2026. Police said that of whom 2,038 have not been rescued, accounting for around 13%.

A press release from Police Headquarters said media reports did not mention how many of the missing children had been rescued or returned, so the full picture was not reflected. This could create confusion among the public.

Police locally verified the information after media reports were published.

Among children aged 0–9, 474 GDs were filed, of whom 406 were rescued and 68 remained untraced.

Among those aged 10–17, 15,243 children went missing. Of them, 13,273 were rescued, while 1,970 remained untraced.

According to police, younger children often go missing while travelling with their families in unfamiliar places. They may be unable to state their family members’ names or addresses. Some also wander elsewhere while trying to return alone.

In the case of older children, the reasons include resentment, pressure from studies, involvement in immoral activities and fleeing due to shame or fear, a desire to live independently, attempts to obtain money or benefits from their families, family conflict or unrest, and the influence of friends or classmates.

Police said the online GD service has made it easier to file complaints, which has also contributed to an increase in the number of GDs.

According to statistics, 17,808 GDs over missing children were filed in 2023, 16,414 in 2024 and 22,550 in 2025.