Global Child Labour Declines by 22 Million, But World Misses 2025 Elimination Target

New estimates released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF reveal a significant reduction in child labour, with nearly 138 million children engaged in child labour in 2024, including approximately 54 million in hazardous work. This figure represents a decrease of over 22 million children since 2020, effectively reversing an alarming spike observed between 2016 and 2020. Despite this positive trend, the world has regrettably missed its committed target of eliminating child labour by 2025, as enshrined under SDG 8.7.

The joint report, titled Child Labour: Global estimates 2024, trends and the road forward, was unveiled one day ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour (June 12) and on International Day of Play. Its findings underscore a stark reality: while gains have been made, millions of children are still being denied their fundamental right to learn, play, and simply experience childhood.

“The findings of our report offer hope and show that progress is possible,” stated Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the ILO. “Children belong in school, not in work. Parents must themselves be supported and have access to decent work so that they can afford to ensure that their children are in classrooms and not selling things in markets or working on family farms to help support their family. But we must not be blindsided, we still have a long way to go before we achieve our goal of eliminating child labour.”

Agriculture continues to bear the heaviest burden of child labour, accounting for a staggering 61 per cent of all cases. This is followed by the services sector at 27 per cent, which includes domestic work and street vending, and industry at 13 per cent, encompassing mining and manufacturing.

Regionally, Asia and the Pacific have achieved the most significant reduction in prevalence since 2020, with the child labour rate dropping from 5.6 per cent to 3.1 per cent (from 49 million to 28 million children). Latin America and the Caribbean also saw positive movement, achieving an 8 per cent relative reduction in prevalence and an 11 per cent decline in total numbers.

However, Sub-Saharan Africa continues to carry the heaviest burden, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all children in child labour – an estimated 87 million. While the prevalence in the region fell from 23.9 to 21.5 per cent, the total number has remained stagnant against the backdrop of rapid population growth.

Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s Executive Director, acknowledged the global progress but stressed the persistent challenge. “The world has made significant progress in reducing the number of children forced into labour. Yet far too many children continue to toil in mines, factories or fields, often doing hazardous work to survive,” she said. Russell emphasised that progress is achievable through robust legal safeguards, expanded social protection, investment in free, quality education, and improved access to decent work for adults. She warned that “Global funding cuts threaten to roll back hard-earned gains. We must recommit to ensuring that children are in classrooms and playgrounds, not at work.”

Both agencies issued a strong warning that sustained and increased funding, both global and domestic, is critical to maintaining recent gains. Reductions in support for education, social protection, and livelihoods can push already vulnerable families to the brink, forcing some to send their children to work. Conversely, shrinking investment in data collection will make it harder to effectively monitor and address the issue.

Child labour fundamentally compromises children’s education, limiting their rights and future opportunities, and exposing them to significant risks of physical and mental harm. It is also a stark consequence of poverty and lack of access to quality education, often trapping families in inter-generational cycles of deprivation. The report also highlights a gender disparity: boys are more likely than girls to be involved in child labour at every age, but this gap reverses when unpaid household chores of 21 hours or more per week are included in the statistics.

Since 2000, child labour has almost halved, from 246 million to 138 million. However, the current rate of progress is too slow to achieve global elimination targets. To eradicate child labour within the next five years, the current rates of progress would need to accelerate 11 times faster, underscoring that while progress is clear, there is indeed much more to do, and efforts must be urgently sped up.