138 Million Children Still Trapped in Child Labour as Global Deadline Nears
Despite a drop of 20M since 2020, 138M children still work — 54M in dangerous jobs. Cuts in aid threaten progress. ‘Isolated efforts are not enough,’ warns @UNICEF & @ILO. Ending child labour requires urgent political will, education access & social protection
Children working in fields and factories instead of classrooms: nearly 138 million youth still trapped in labour, warns new ILO–UNICEF report. Photo: @FAOAzerbaijan
June 12, 2025 Hour: 2:57 am
Despite repeated international pledges to end child labour by 2025, nearly 138 million children were still engaged in it in 2024, including over 54 million in hazardous conditions. This sobering figure, released by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), reflects a global failure to protect the rights of the most vulnerable.
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The new report reveals that although child labour declined by over 20 million since 2020, reversing a pandemic-era surge, the current pace of progress is insufficient. Millions of children remain excluded from school, forced to work in farms, factories, homes, or on the streets—deprived of the chance to learn, play, or simply be children.
Agriculture continues to be the most affected sector, with 61 percent of child labourers exposed to long hours, chemical hazards, and dangerous tools. Millions more are found in informal services and industry, often lacking any form of labour protection.
Africa remains the region with the highest prevalence, where one in five children—around 87 million—are trapped in child labour. The situation is worsened by poverty, weak social protection systems, climate shocks, and high population growth. In many families, children work to support household survival.
Girls face a distinct vulnerability, with a significant number performing unpaid domestic work in private homes, often invisible and unaccounted for in official statistics. This deepens gender inequalities and limits access to education and personal development.
The report warns that recent cuts in international development funding, especially for education and child protection in the Global South, risk reversing previous gains. The lingering impacts of COVID-19 have further strained household incomes and education systems, pushing more children into labour.
“Behind every number is a child whose right to education, protection, and a safe childhood is being denied,” said Federico Blanco, an ILO economist and co-author of the report. “Isolated efforts are not enough. Only integrated strategies that combine education, decent jobs for parents, and robust social safety nets can break this cycle.”
One such story of change is that of Tahirou Sanogo, a 15-year-old boy from Mali, who used to work in cotton fields and as a bus apprentice. Thanks to the ILO’s ACCEL Africa project, he is now attending school and has learned to read and write. “Now I help my father with documents,” he says.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stressed that ending child labour demands political will and investment. “Without free, quality education and strong social protection systems, progress will stall—or even reverse,” she warned.
Experts argue that child labour is not an inevitable outcome of poverty, but rather a consequence of political neglect, social inequality, and economic systems that place profit over human dignity.
With just months remaining before the 2025 global target, the persistence of child labour reveals a profound crisis of accountability. The world must move beyond rhetoric and commit to systemic change—because every child deserves a future defined by learning, safety, and hope.
Author: MK
Source: Africanews