Worked example 1
According to UN estimates, the global market for human trafficking generates approximately $150 billion in profits annually, while the global cost of cybercrime was estimated at $6 trillion in 2021. Calculate the combined annual economic impact of these two forms of global crime and briefly explain one sociological reason for the vast scale of these criminal enterprises.
Show solution outline
Part 1: Calculation
Step 1: Identify the given financial figures.
- Human Trafficking Profit: $150 billion
- Cybercrime Cost: $6 trillion
Step 2: Standardise the units for calculation. To add these figures, we must express both in the same unit, such as trillions of dollars.
- $150 billion = $0.15 trillion (since $1 trillion = 1,000 billion)
Step 3: Calculate the combined total.
- Total Impact = Cost of Cybercrime + Profit from Human Trafficking
- Total Impact = $6.0 trillion + $0.15 trillion
Step 4: State the final answer.
- The combined estimated annual economic impact is $6.15 trillion.
Part 2: Sociological Explanation
One key sociological reason for this vast scale is the concept of the 'network society' (Manuel Castells). Globalisation has created digital and transport infrastructures that are exploited by criminals. Cybercrime thrives on the borderless and anonymous nature of the internet, allowing offenders to target millions globally with minimal risk. Similarly, human trafficking networks use global transport and communication systems to recruit, move, and control victims, operating as flexible, decentralised 'glocal' enterprises (Hobbs and Dunningham) that are difficult for national police forces to dismantle. The scale is vast because the opportunities are global and the risks are often localised or displaced.