Over 800 People Missing In Delhi In First 15 Days Of 2026: Report

More than 800 people were reported missing in Delhi during the first 15 days of 2026, according to official data from Delhi Police, accessed by news agency Press Trust of India. 

Between January 1 and January 15, a total of 807 people were reported missing. This equals an average of about 54 cases every day. 

Women and girls formed the majority of cases. Out of the total, 509 were women and girls, while 298 were men.

Police records show that minors accounted for 191 of the missing cases. The remaining 616 cases involved adults. Of all those reported missing during this period, police traced 235 people. A total of 572 people remain untraced.

Children were reported missing at an average of 13 cases per day during the first half of January. Girls made up most of these cases. Out of the 191 missing minors, 146 were girls and 45 were boys.

Teenagers formed the largest group among missing minors. A total of 169 adolescents were reported missing during this period. This included 138 teenage girls and 31 boys. Police traced 29 girls and 19 boys. Around 71 percent of missing adolescents remain untraced.

In the age group of 8 to 12 years, 13 children were reported missing. This included eight boys and five girls. Police traced three boys, while the remaining children are still missing.

In the under eight age group, nine children were reported missing. Police traced three boys, while six children remain untraced.

Adult and Long Term Missing Cases

Adults made up the largest share of missing persons in Delhi during this period. Between January 1 and 15, police recorded 616 missing adult cases. This included 363 women and 253 men. Police traced 90 men and 91 women. A total of 435 adults have not yet been located.

The data shows that the trend of missing persons is not limited to 2026. In 2025, Delhi recorded 24,508 missing person cases. Women accounted for more than 60 percent of these cases, with 14,870 women reported missing. Men accounted for 9,638 cases.

Police records show that 15,421 people were traced in 2025. However, 9,087 cases from that year remain unresolved.

A ten year analysis highlights a steady rise in missing person cases. From 2016 onwards, 2,32,737 people were reported missing in Delhi. Police traced around 1.8 lakh individuals during this period. Nearly 52,000 cases remain unresolved, according to Delhi Police data.

Teenagers continue to form a large share of missing cases. Since 2016, more than 5,000 teenagers have gone missing each year on average. Girls account for nearly 3,500 cases annually.

In 2025 alone, 5,081 teenagers were reported missing in Delhi. Of these, 3,970 were girls. Police records show that 1,013 girls reported missing in 2025 are still untraced.

Delhi Police said efforts to trace missing persons are ongoing. The data reflects cases reported during the period and includes both resolved and unresolved cases based on official records.