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Understanding
child labour
statistics

The Global Estimates, explained

Did you know that, around the world, there are 160 million children aged 5 to 17 in child labour?

Chances are, it happens even where you live.
These children are often hidden in plain sight.
When you see it…

HOW MANY CHILDREN INCHILD LABOUR DO YOUSEE? LOOK AGAIN.

... what will you do?

Understanding child labour can help us eliminate it.

First, the good news…

Child labour among girls fell by 1.2 million between 2016 and 2020.

This number represents a success story. But it’s not the full picture. Many girls engage in caregiving, cooking, and other domestic chores for long hours that interfere with their schooling. But the definition of child labour does not include such work – if it did, many more girls would be classified as child labourers.

BOYSGIRLS
Child labour has declined faster among girls than boys
200020042008201220162020GIRLS7.8%8.4%15.2%16.9%19.9%22.5%BOYS11.2%10.7%18.1%21.4%21.3%23.4%

Overall, the rate of child labour among girls is less than among boys.

BOYSGIRLS
Child labour is more prevalent among boys than girls at every age
10.9%8.4%5–11 YEARS11.0%7.5%12–14 YEARS12.1%6.6%15–17 YEARS

Among 12 to 14-year-olds, child labour fell from 49.1 million in 2016 to 35.6 million in 2020

This is encouraging. But the 2016-2020 period saw a worrying rise in child labour among very young children: those just 5 to 11 years old.

20082012201620205-11 YEARS9.7%8.3%8.5%10.7%15-17 YEARS9.5%10.5%13.0%16.9%12-14 YEARS9.3%11.7%13.1%17.0%

Between 2016 and 2020, child labour fell by 13.4 million in the Asia and the Pacific region and by 2.3 million in the Latin America and Caribbean region

Regional patterns often correlate with broader demographic, economic, and development trends. The better performing regions in terms of child labour reduction have also performed relatively better in terms of the transition to formality, social protection coverage and school enrolment, although these remain important development challenges across all regions. And Latin America and the Caribbean saw a drop in child labour as the population aged 5 to 17 also fell.

2008201220162020LATIN AMERICAAND THE CARIBBEAN8.2 million10.5 million12.5 million14.1 millionASIA AND THE PACIFIC48.7 million62.1 million77.7 million113.6 millionSUB-SAHARAN AFRICA86.6 million70.0 million59.0 million65.1 million

But, overall, global progress against child labour has stagnated during the 2016 to 2020 period.

The percentage of children in child labour remained unchanged over the four year period while the absolute number of children in child labour increased by over 8 million

This result is alarming. Global progress against child labour has stalled for the first time since the ILO began tracking it, two decades ago. Without urgent measures, the COVID-19 crisis is likely to push millions more children into child labour.

This is our reality check. We have a global commitment to end child labour by 2025. If we do not act now on an unprecedented scale, the timeline for ending child labour will stretch years further into the future.

Global progress against child labour has stalled since 2016CHILD LABOURHAZARDOUS WORK200020042008201220162020245.5 million222.3 million215.2 million168.0 million151.6 million160.0 million170.5 million128.4 million115.3 million85.3 million72.5 million79.0 million

Nearly half of children in child labour – 79 million of them – are performing hazardous work that directly endangers their health, safety or moral development

Hazardous work has persisted and expanded among younger children. This is particularly concerning, considering the common hazards that children are exposed to include harmful agrochemicals, physically strenuous tasks such as carrying heavy loads, exposure to extreme temperatures, use of dangerous tools, and worse.

Children in child labour160 millionChildren in hazardous work79 million

Unfortunately, huge challenges still remain in Sub-Saharan Africa, where one in four children are involved in child labour

Reasons for the challenges are complex and are affected by demographic, economic, and development trends including poverty, a lack of access to free quality education, and a lack of decent work opportunities for parents and youth. The region, with support from the international community, needs to take steps to address these issues.

We need a breakthrough in Africa to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, especially Target 8.7, which states: “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.”.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC5.6%7.4%9.3%13.3%LATIN AMERICAAND THE CARIBBEAN6.0%7.3%8.8%10.0%SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA23.9%22.4%21.4%25.3%2008201220162020

We must take action now

The COVID-19 crisis has caused an increase in poverty worldwide. Without mitigation measures, a projected 8.9 million more children will likely be engaged in child labour by the end of 2022 due to the poverty impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

We must go faster

Without accelerated action, we will not come close to our goal of eliminating child labour by 2030. Projections based on trends predict a mere 22% reduction in child labour over the next eight years.

86.6 million88.9 million90.0 million22.7 million33.4 million48.7 million5.3 million6.6 million8.2 million6.8 million10.8 million16.5 million202020252030SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAASIA AND THE PACIFICLATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEANOTHER REGIONS

How to help

Everyone can do their part for children.

Policies that promote social protection programmes, like access to healthcare and income security, as well as policies that promote decent work and gender equality, could help reduce child labour worldwide.

If we work together, we could save millions of children who are currently in child labour, and millions more who are currently vulnerable.

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We have to think big and have the courage to envision a world free from child labour and poverty, one that provides decent work and social protection for all.

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