‘Far too many still toiling': 138 million children working in factories and fields; UN says end could take ‘hundreds of years'
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The
United Nations
said on Wednesday that around 138 million children around the world are still working in factories and fields. Given the slow pace of progress, the organisation has warned that eliminating child labour could take 'hundreds of years.
'
Nearly 40 per cent of these children were reported to be engaged in hazardous work in 2024, according to the report. Progress has been especially slow among younger children, with around 80 million kids aged between 5 and 11 found to be working.
Countries worldwide had pledged to end child labour by the end of 2025 under the Sustainable Development Goals. But in a joint report, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said, 'That timeline has now come to an end.
But child labor has not.'
Unicef chief Catherine Russell noted that while there has been 'significant progress' in reducing the rate at which child labour is growing, 'far too many children continue to toil in mines, factories or fields, often doing hazardous work to survive.'
According to data published annually, 137.6 million children aged 5–17 were engaged in child labour last year, about 7.8 per cent of all children in that age group.
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This figure is roughly double the entire population of France.
However, this also reflects a significant drop since 2000, when 246 million children, mostly from impoverished families, were forced to work.
After a worrying increase between 2016 and 2020, the trend has now reversed, with 20 million fewer children in the workforce.
The report finds that the agricultural sector employs the largest number of children, followed by domestic work and other services.
According to Unicef expert Claudia Cappa, measures such as free compulsory education and universal social protection can be effective in safeguarding children.
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