France's missing children are getting younger, as numbers rise again

Nearly 41,000 children were reported missing in France in 2025, a more than six percent increase from the year before, and the first time the number has gone up in several years. © Natacha Pisarenko/AP

The number of reports of missing children in France is on the rise, reversing a downward trend of recent years, according to a report released on Monday which also reveals the children involved are getting younger.

A total of 40,953 children were reported missing in France last year, around 112 each day, according to the foundation that runs the European emergency hotline 116 000, which released the figures to mark International Missing Children's Day.

Cases of "concerning disappearances" jumped 18.6 percent, according to Interior Ministry figures cited in the report. These are situations where a child's safety or welfare appears to be at risk, through coercion, sexual exploitation or mental health crises.

Among girls, sexual exploitation is a major risk factor in nearly a third of cases.

For the first time, the majority of these serious cases involved children under the age of 15.

Parental abductions were the only category to fall, down 7.1 percent to 618 reports in 2025, with almost half involving a child being taken abroad.

The overall increase is largely driven by a rise in runaways, up 6.2 percent on the previous year and accounting for more than 95 percent of all missing children reports. Nearly 38 percent involved children under 15.

"It is increasingly very young children who end up wandering and in danger," foundation spokesperson Julien Landureau told the AFP news agency.

Children go missing for a range of reasons, including arguments with parents, outside influence or a desire for independence, and may be absent for a few hours or several months.

The foundation urges families to report missing children to police as quickly as possible, noting that two-thirds are found or return home of their own accord within the first few days.

France's High Commissioner for Childhood Sarah El Haïry said a runaway "is never trivial. On the contrary, it can point to deep distress, a dangerous situation or the influence of a third party. We need to do better at prevention and at picking up the early warning signs".

(with AFP)