World misses 2025 target to end child labour: Report
Lucknow: Almost 13.8 crore children worldwide were engaged in child labour in 2024, with at least 5.4 crore involved in hazardous work that could jeopardise their health, safety, or development.
The data was released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF on Wednesday, the eve of the World Day Against Child Labour.
The report, titled "Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, Trends and the Road Forward", noted that despite a reduction of over 2 crore children since 2020, the world has missed its target of eliminating child labour by 2025. Although child labour has nearly halved since 2000 from 24.6 crore, the current rate of decline remains slow.
The report states that progress would need to be 11 times faster to eliminate child labour within the next five years.
According to the data, agriculture remains the largest sector for child labour, accounting for 61% of all cases, followed by services (27%)—such as domestic work and selling goods in markets—and industry (13%), which includes mining and manufacturing.
Asia and the Pacific have shown the most significant reduction in child labour prevalence since 2020, with rates dropping from 6% to 3%, equivalent to a decrease from 4.9 crore to 2.8 crore children.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the prevalence has remained steady over the past four years, though the total number of affected children has declined from 8 crore to about 7 crore. The worst-affected region is Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of all children in child labour—around 8.7 crore.
The report also highlights that boys are more likely than girls to be involved in child labour across all age groups.
However, when unpaid household chores exceeding 21 hours per week are considered, the gender gap reverses, with more girls affected.
"The findings of our report offer hope and show that progress is possible. Children belong in school, not in labour. Parents must be supported and have access to decent work so they can ensure their children are in classrooms—not selling goods in markets or working on family farms," said ILO Director-General Gilbert F.
Houngbo. "But we must not lose sight of the fact that we still have a long way to go to achieve our goal of eliminating child labour.
"
Among the suggestions made by the ILO and UNICEF to govts is the need for sustained and increased funding—both globally and domestically. Cuts in support for education, social protection, and livelihoods, they warn, can push already vulnerable families to the brink, forcing them to send their children to work.
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