15,717 children reported missing in seven months; 2,038 still missing
Police data show 56,772 missing-child GDs were filed between 2023 and 2025, with most cases involving children aged 10-17.
Police received 15,717 general diaries (GDs) over missing children across the country in the first seven months of this year, with 2,038 still untraced, according to police data.
The figures were released by the Police Headquarters in a press statement yesterday (3 September).
The Police Headquarters verified the figures through local police stations after recent reports said more than 15,000 children had gone missing in the first seven months of this year.
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Of the 15,717 missing-child GDs, 15,243 involved children aged 10–17. Of them, 13,273 have been traced, while 1,970 remain missing, the statement said.
The remaining 474 GDs involved children aged up to nine. Of them, 406 have been traced, while 68 remain missing.
Over the past three years, 56,772 missing-person GDs involving children were filed, according to police data. The number stood at 17,808 in 2023, fell to 16,414 in 2024 and rose sharply to 22,550 in 2025.
Police said the number of GDs has increased since the introduction of online GDs.
Therefore, the number of children reported missing should be considered alongside the number traced, the statement said.
According to police, children aged up to nine mainly go missing after getting lost, being unable to provide their family members' names and addresses, or going elsewhere while trying to return home alone.
For those aged 10–17, common reasons include hurt feelings, academic pressure, family disputes, influence of friends or classmates, a desire to live independently, and attempts to obtain money or other benefits from their families.
Police Headquarters also said the full picture cannot be understood by publishing only the number of missing-person GDs. Information on both traced and still-missing children should also be presented.
