Odisha Records Steady Rise in Missing Women Cases, 72,090 Reported in Five Years

Bhubaneswar: The number of women reported missing in Odisha has risen steadily over the past five years, increasing from 11,635 cases in 2021 to 17,747 in 2025, the State Assembly was informed on Monday.

A total of 72,090 women were reported missing across the State between 2021 and 2025. Of these, 53,720 had been traced as of July 31, 2026, according to data provided by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in a written reply to a question by Patna MLA Akhila Chandra Naik.

The annual figures show a rise in reported cases throughout the period. Odisha recorded 11,635 missing women cases in 2021, followed by 12,793 in 2022 and 13,915 in 2023.

The number crossed the 16,000-mark in 2024, when 16,000 women were reported missing. The figure increased further to 17,747 in 2025, the highest among the five years.

The tracing figures, calculated as of July 31, 2026, stood at 9,121 for women reported missing in 2021 and 9,871 for those reported missing in 2022.

For 2023, 10,661 women had been traced, while 12,011 of those reported missing in 2024 had been traced by the same cut-off date. Of the 17,747 women reported missing in 2025, 12,056 had been traced as of July 31, 2026.

Taken together, the figures mean 18,370 women from the five-year period had not been traced as of the cut-off date, based on the data presented in the Assembly. The figure represents the tracing status reported up to July 31, 2026 and does not necessarily indicate the number of women who remain missing at present.

The Chief Minister also placed before the House separate data on children and girls reported missing during the period, along with the number of those traced as of July 31, 2026.

The disclosure comes as the State continues to examine issues related to missing persons and the tracing of women and children through the police and other enforcement mechanisms.