509 women, 191 minors missing in Delhi in just two weeks: Inside the national capital’s growing disappearance crisis

Official data released by the Delhi Police shows that more than 800 people were reported missing in just the first fifteen days of January, a figure that translates to an average of 54 disappearances every single day.

What stands out sharply in the data is who is going missing: women, girls and minors form a disproportionately large share of these cases.

According to reports, between January 1 and January 15, Delhi recorded around 800 missing persons.

Of these, nearly two-thirds were women and girls, raising renewed questions about vulnerability and safety in one of the country’s largest urban centres.

Women and girls dominate missing cases

Police records show that out of those reported missing in the first half of January, 509 were women and girls, compared with 298 men.

The data underlines a consistent trend seen in previous years, where women account for a majority of missing persons in the capital.

Out of the total cases registered during this period, 616 were adults, and 191 were minors.

Authorities have managed to trace 235 individuals so far, while 572 people remain unaccounted for.

The scale of unresolved cases within such a short timeframe has added urgency to concerns surrounding population mobility, domestic displacement and the tracking of vulnerable groups in the city.

Children disappearing at an alarming pace

The figures relating to minors are particularly striking.

Delhi Police data indicates that an average of 13 children went missing every day between January 1 and January 15.

Of the 191 minors reported missing during this period, girls accounted for 146 cases.

Teenagers formed the largest subgroup among missing minors.

A total of 169 adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years were reported missing in just two weeks.

Among them, 138 were girls, and 31 were boys.

Police were able to trace 29 girls and 19 boys from this age group.

However, nearly 71 percent of missing teenagers — 121 individuals — remain untraced, highlighting how difficult recovery becomes once adolescents disappear from familiar surroundings.

Younger children have also featured in the data.

In the 8–12 age bracket, 13 children were reported missing, including eight boys and five girls.

Only three boys from this group have been traced so far. In the under-eight category, nine children were reported missing, of whom three boys were located, leaving six children still unaccounted for.

Adults form the largest numerical share

While children and teenagers attract immediate concern, adults continue to make up the largest number of missing persons overall.

In the first half of January alone, 616 adults were reported missing in Delhi. This group included 363 women and 253 men.

Police traced 181 adults during this period, comprising 90 men and 91 women.

However, 435 adult cases remain unresolved, accounting for the bulk of missing persons yet to be located in early 2026.

The data reflects the complexity of adult disappearance cases, which often involve migration, family disputes, mental health issues or economic pressures, though official records do not attribute causes in individual cases.

How 2026 compares with recent years

The early 2026 figures align with a broader pattern seen in recent years.

In 2025, Delhi recorded 24,508 missing persons cases.

Women accounted for more than 60 percent of these, with 14,870 cases, compared to 9,638 involving men.

Police were able to trace 15,421 individuals during 2025.

However, 9,087 cases remained unresolved by the end of the year, reflecting a significant backlog that continues to spill over into subsequent years.

Notably, 2025 also recorded the highest number of missing women cases in Delhi so far, according to official records.

A decade-long rise in missing persons

A longer-term analysis underscores the scale of the issue.

Between 2016 and 2026, a total of 2,32,737 people were reported missing in Delhi.

While nearly 1.8 lakh individuals were eventually traced, close to 52,000 cases remain unresolved over the past decade.

Teenagers consistently emerge as one of the most vulnerable groups.

Since 2016, an average of more than 5,000 teenagers have gone missing every year in the capital.

Girls account for nearly 3,500 of these cases annually, pointing to a persistent gender imbalance.

In 2025 alone, 5,081 teenagers were reported missing, including 3,970 girls. Among them, 1,013 teenagers were still untraced at last count.

A persistent concern for India’s capital

The disappearance of over 800 people in just two weeks has once again drawn attention to the scale and complexity of missing persons cases in Delhi.

The concentration of cases involving women, girls and teenagers reflects long-standing demographic patterns visible in police data over the past decade.

As authorities continue efforts to trace those unaccounted for, the numbers from early 2026 serve as a stark statistical snapshot of a challenge that has steadily grown in India’s national capital, year after year.