Over 800 missing in Delhi in first 15 days of 2026: Police Data

New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) In the first 15 days of 2026, more than 800 people were reported missing in Delhi, with women and girls accounting for nearly two-thirds of the cases, according to official data from Delhi Police accessed by PTI.

Between January 1 and 15, a total of 807 people went missing, with an average of 54 people going missing every day. Of these, 509 were women and girls, and 298 were men.

Among the total reported missing, minors made up 191 cases, while 616 adults were reported missing, as per the data.

Around 572 people remain untraced while police have managed to trace 235 of the missing persons, the data showed.

The data revealed that an average of 13 children went missing every day from January 1 to 15, with girls accounting for

146 cases of the total 191 missing minors.

Among the missing minors were 169 teenagers (12 to 18 years). Of these, 138 were teenage girls, and 31 were boys.

Police managed to trace 29 girls and 19 boys, but nearly 71 per cent of adolescents (121) remain untraced, according to the data.

In the age group of 8 to 12 years, 13 children went missing — eight boys and five girls — with only three boys being found.

In the under-eight category, a total of nine children were reported missing, of whom three boys were found, and six children remain untraced.

Adults, however, continue to make up the largest portion of missing persons. In the first half of January, 616 adults were reported missing, including 363 women and 253 men. While police were able to trace 90 men and 91 women, 435 people have yet to be located, the data showed.

In 2025, a total of 24,508 people were reported missing in Delhi, with women accounting for over 60 per cent of the cases at 14,870. Men accounted for 9,638 cases. Police managed to trace 15,421 individuals, but 9,087 cases remain unresolved, the data revealed.

A decadal analysis (2016-2026) highlights a troubling trend in the rising number of missing persons each year. Over the past decade, 2,32,737 people were reported missing in Delhi, with approximately 1.8 lakh individuals traced, but nearly 52,000 cases remain unresolved, according to Delhi Police records.

Additionally, the data showed a grim picture of the risks faced by teenagers in Delhi. Since 2016, an average of more than 5,000 teens have gone missing every year, with girls accounting for nearly 3,500 of these cases annually.

In 2025, when 5,081 teenagers were reported missing, 3,970 of them were girls, out of which 1,013 have not been found.

The trend has shown a consistent rise year after year, with 2025 marking the highest number of missing women cases at 14,870. PTI MSJ SGV BM HIG HIG