I’m shocked, but at the same time not surprised. It seems virtually impossible to completely eradicate the act of slavery. Humans are not supposed to be a possession. They have some sort of value to anyone, and skills and knowledge should be traded fairly. This should be common sense, right?

Not according to a new study by the Walk Free Foundation of 162 countries covered by the Global Slavery Index.

Contemporary slavery includes human trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage and the sale of children. These forms are most prevalent in India and China, and along with Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia, Thailand, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar and Bangladesh, these countries account for a 76 percent—76 percent!— of the total estimate of 29.8 million globally enslaved people. It’s simply outrageous. The numbers are too high to be considered contemporary. Slavery should be something of the past, not of the future. And that’s the way it’s looking now; it’s getting worse. The study said that exploitation of such kinds is at an all time high.

I can’t help but feel partially responsible. After all, a majority of my clothes are labeled “Made in [insert one of the countries named above].” I contributed to slavery. And I’m sure many of you have, too. Yes, manufacturing industries have boomed in these countries and created many job opportunities, but they lack security and fair pay. Western companies vastly turn to low-wage countries far from headquarters to manufacture cheap apparel, electronics and other goods.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Savita Debnath, a 14-year-old girl from New Delhi, India, who was promised a job cleaning houses, but was forced by agents to get on a train and sold her to a family. The buyers abused her and forced her to work long days cooking, cleaning, caring for two young children and preparing for parties without pay or being able to contact her family.

One might think that slavery is caused by widespread poverty and exploitation of the poor, but a more realistic take is government corruption. Slavery is illegal everywhere in the world, but every time it is allowed to go unpunished, another violent crime is committed.

Don’t assume that modern-day slavery only takes place in Africa, Asia and neighboring countries. The study emphasized that no country was free of slaves.

The Free the Slaves organization described in the south U.S. during 1850 an average slave cost the equivalent of $40,000 in today’s money, and today, a slave costs an average of a mere $90.

You should be concerned. Slavery feeds directly into the global economy via the products we buy and investments we make. It is our human duty to increase public awareness and push governments to take action. The United Nations strongly opposes slavery, but rarely has the money needed to take meaningful action.

All businesses should have serious audits for quality of working conditions, and recent dangers have led many large companies to do so.

Freedom isn’t free. Even if these slaves are freed, they need some sort of income to build up their newfound liberty. A little donation can make a difference.