Over 800 go missing in Delhi in first 15 days of 2026, police data shows: 54 people a day

NEW DELHI: More than 800 people were reported missing in Delhi in the first 15 days of 2026, with women and girls accounting for nearly two-thirds of the cases, according to data released by the Delhi Police.

Between January 1 and 15, a total of 807 missing person cases were registered, averaging around 54 cases per day. Of these, 509 were women and girls, while 298 were men.

The data shows that 191 of the missing persons were minors, including 146 girls and 45 boys, while 616 were adults. Police have so far traced 235 people, including 54 children (25 boys and 29 girls) and 181 adults (90 men and 91 women). Around 572 people remain untraced, the data revealed.

In the 8–12 age group, 13 children went missing — eight boys and five girls — with only three boys traced so far. In the under-eight category, nine children were reported missing, of whom three boys were found, while six remain untraced.

Adults accounted for the largest share of missing persons, with 616 cases, including 363 women and 253 men. While police traced 181 adults, 435 adults remain missing, according to the data.

The figures mirror a longer-term trend. In 2025, a total of 24,508 people were reported missing in Delhi, including 14,870 women and 9,638 men. Police traced 15,421 individuals, while 9,087 cases remain unresolved.

A decadal analysis (2016–2026) paints a worrying picture, with 2,32,737 people reported missing over the past ten years. While about 1.8 lakh individuals were traced, nearly 52,000 cases are still unresolved.

The data also highlights the continued risk faced by teenagers in the capital. Since 2016, an average of over 5,000 teenagers have gone missing each year, with girls accounting for nearly 3,500 cases annually. In 2025 alone, 5,081 teenagers were reported missing, including 3,970 girls, of whom 1,013 are yet to be found.

Police officials said efforts are ongoing to trace the missing persons.

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