Still in chains: 138 million children engaged in child labour in 2024, finds UN body

Even as the world marks the World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, the latest global estimates from UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) paint a troubling picture—138 million children were engaged in child labour in 2024, including nearly 54 million in hazardous work that puts their health and well-being at serious risk.

 

Released just a day before the global observance, the report titled 'Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, Trends and the Road Forward' notes that although child labour has reduced by 20 million since 2020, the world has failed to meet the 2025 target of eliminating it completely.

 

"Children belong in schools, not in labour,” said ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo. “We’ve made progress, yes. But, we cannot be blindsided by the fact that millions of children still work to survive."

 

The data reveals that agriculture remains the largest employer of child labour, accounting for 61 per cent of cases. Services such as domestic work and street vending follow at 27 per cent, and industry—including mining and manufacturing—accounts for 13 per cent.

 

Regionally, sub-Saharan Africa bears the heaviest burden, home to 87 million child labourers, nearly two-thirds of the global total. While the percentage of affected children fell slightly from 24 to 22 per cent, absolute numbers have remained static due to factors such as population growth, poverty, and conflict.

 

By contrast, Asia and the Pacific saw the most significant drop, from 49 million to 28 million, with prevalence halving from 6 to 3 per cent. Latin America and the Caribbean held steady at around 7 million children, with little change in prevalence.

 

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell cautioned that hard-won gains are under threat. “We know what works—legal protections, free quality education, social protection, and decent jobs for adults. But global funding cuts are reversing progress and putting children at risk,” she said.

 

The report highlights how poverty, lack of education, and inadequate social protection push families to rely on children’s earnings, perpetuating a cycle of intergenerational deprivation.

 

Boys are generally more likely to be involved in child labour, but when factoring in unpaid household work of more than 21 hours a week, girls surpass boys, showing the invisible burden many girls carry.

Society