Prostitution of minors in France has risen by up 43 percent over the last four years, according to official figures published Friday. The government insists it remains committed to cracking down on exploitation networks, a decade after a landmark law made paying for sexual services a crime.
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The data, released on Friday by the National Observatory on Violence Against Women, shows 416 minors were victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and 288 were victims of prostitution last year.
Girls accounted for 94 percent of the 704 victims identified.
Officials say the total – up from 659 in 2024 – shows a sustained upward trend. Between 2021 and 2025, the increase amounted to 43 percent, according to an annual report on the prostitution system in France by Miprof, the government’s unit for the protection of women and the fight against human trafficking.
These young people “come from all walks of life”, a source familiar with the issue told news agency AFP. “The majority of them have previously suffered sexual or physical abuse, and the resulting trauma makes them particularly vulnerable.”
Others fall under the control of men who first establish romantic relationships before sexually exploiting their victims.
Improved reporting
Miprof said the growth in recorded cases was partly linked to efforts by grassroots organisations to identify and support victims, as well as improvements in the way police handle such cases.
Digital platforms are also playing a growing role. The Amicale du Nid organisation, which helps people get out of prostitution, reported that 86 percent of young people it supported last year said contact with clients took place at least partly online, both through internet ads and via messaging apps such as Snapchat.
While the number of minors identified is rising, the number of adults in prostitution recorded by the police fell by 8 percent between 2021 and 2025, reaching 880 last year. Officials attributed this in part to police prioritising other forms of crime.
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Decade of criminalisation
A decade after France passed a law criminalising the purchase of sexual services, authorities insist they are taking a tough approach to prostitution networks.
Adopted on 13 October 2016, after intense debate, it punishes clients of sex workers with fines of €1,500 and up to €3,500 for repeat offences. It also decriminalised soliciting.
Junior minister for gender equality Aurore Bergé said the state’s approach to prostitution networks remained uncompromising.
“Our line is very clear: people in prostitution are victims to be protected, and those whose responsibility we seek are clients and pimps, who must be prosecuted,” she told AFP.
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‘Room for improvement’
However, only 1,442 fines were issued to clients in 2025 and there are significant regional differences in how the law is applied.
Bergé acknowledged there was “room for improvement” in prioritising such cases, particularly as prostitution networks are often linked to drug trafficking.
She also highlighted ongoing enforcement against illegal operations, including massage parlours that provide a front for sex work. In 2025, authorities inspected more than 220 such premises and opened around 20 judicial proceedings.
The number of convictions for sex trafficking and related offences has doubled between 2017 and 2024, according to official figures. The government says it will allocate €7.5 million to the fight against prostitution in 2026, compared with €3.3 million in 2019.
Officials estimate that around 40,000 people are currently in situations of prostitution in France.
(with newswires)
