SAHARAN, AFRICA – Nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labour globally in 2024, with 54 million exposed to hazardous conditions, a joint UNICEF and International Labour Organization (ILO) report has revealed.
Released ahead of World Day Against Child Labour, the report shows progress: child labour numbers have dropped by over 20 million since 2020. However, the world will miss its 2025 elimination target.
“The findings of our report offer hope and show that progress is possible,” said ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo. “But we still have a long way to go.”
The report, Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, highlights that while regions like Asia and the Pacific made strong gains—cutting child labour by almost half—Africa remains disproportionately burdened.
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Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for nearly two-thirds of all child labourers globally. Though prevalence fell slightly from 24% to 22%, the total number remains at 87 million due to population growth and poverty.
Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, warned, “Far too many children continue to toil in mines, factories, or fields. Legal safeguards and quality education are essential to reverse this trend.”
Agriculture remains the largest sector for child labour, absorbing 61% of affected children. Services, such as domestic work, account for 27%, and industry, including mining, 13%.
The report also notes that while boys are more likely to be involved in labour, the burden shifts to girls when unpaid domestic work is considered.
Both agencies emphasized that reduced global funding threatens to reverse recent gains. Cuts in education, protection, and social safety nets risk pushing more children into work.
“To end child labour, families must be supported,” Houngbo stressed. “Parents need decent jobs so their children can attend school, not work in markets or farms.”
Since 2000, child labour figures have halved—from 246 million to 138 million. Yet current efforts are too slow. Progress must accelerate eleven fold to meet elimination goals in the next five years.
The ILO and UNICEF urged African governments to invest in social protection, enforce child labour laws, ensure access to education, and create decent work opportunities.
Russell added, “We must recommit to ensuring children are in classrooms and playgrounds, not at work.