$4.4 Trillion Could Buy Everyone A Laptop, Yet Black Money Recovery Remains Dismal
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has warned that money laundering has reached a scale, with an estimated USD 4.4 trillion flowing through the illicit economy in 2025. Speaking at the 43rd International Symposium on Economic Crime in London, the CJI said the amount could buy a laptop for every person among the world’s eight billion population and still leave money behind. Dirty Money…
In 2025, an estimated USD 4.4 trillion is believed to be circulating within the illicit economy, a figure so vast it could theoretically purchase a laptop for every individual on Earth's eight billion inhabitants. This staggering sum represents a 19.2 percentage point increase from 2023's USD 3.1 trillion, nearly quadrupling the 5 percent economic growth rate.
The surge in illicit funds also rose from 2.9 percent of global GDP to 3.8 percent in 2025. However, the recovery rate remains alarmingly low, with less than one percent of recovered funds. Organized crime and corruption are estimated to have contributed USD 2.78 trillion to the illicit economy, with drug trafficking accounting for USD 1.07 trillion, human trafficking USD 530 billion, and terrorist financing USD 20 billion.
India's own economy has seen a rise in economic crime, with registered economic offences increasing from 156,268 in 2018 to 214,379 in 2024. While recoveries have improved, only 6.1 percent of the total amount involved was recovered in FY26, and the conviction rate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act remains below 1 percent.
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