The International Organisation for Migration says young women and girls are the most vulnerable to being trafficked in Papua New Guinea.
The country's first report by the IOM and the PNG Department of Justice on human trafficking reveals most victims are sexually exploited, subjected to forced labour or become domestic servants.
The Chief of Mission for the IOM Giuseppe Crocetti says people tend to fall victim to people smuggling while searching for opportunities to get out of poverty, unemployment or lack of basic needs.
He says girls are twice as likely as boys to be trafficked.
"Young women are the most vulnerable group of person at risk to become victims of trafficking. And for the purpose of the survey, young women were classified as being aged between 18 and 25 years old, which represents a highly vulnerable demographic in PNG. They could be manipulated through deception or force."
Giuseppe Crocetti says there is no law criminalising trafficking in PNG and little is known about the extent of the problem.
