138 million children in child labour globally – ILO, UNICEF
The International Labour Organisation and United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund have revealed that no fewer than 138 million children were engaged in child labour globally in 2024.
The United Nations agencies added that an estimated 54 million of them were involved in hazardous work that posed serious risks to their health, safety, and development.
This is according to a joint report by both agencies, titled “Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, trends and the road forward”, released ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour marked annually on June 12.
The figure represents a decline of more than 20 million since 2020, reversing a previous spike recorded between 2016 and 2020, it added.
Despite this progress, the report noted that the world has failed to meet its target of eliminating child labour by 2025.
Reacting to the report, ILO Director-General, Gilbert Houngbo, expressed optimism that the findings of the 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 that they can afford to ensure that their children are in classrooms and not selling things in markets or on family farms to help support their family.
“But we must not be blindsided by the fact that we still have a long way to go before we achieve our goal of eliminating child labour,” said Houngbo
The International Labour Organisation and United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund have revealed that no fewer than 138 million children were engaged in child labour globally in 2024.
The United Nations agencies added that an estimated 54 million of them were involved in hazardous work that posed serious risks to their health, safety, and development.
This is according to a joint report by both agencies, titled “Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, trends and the road forward”, released ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour marked annually on June 12.
The figure represents a decline of more than 20 million since 2020, reversing a previous spike recorded between 2016 and 2020, it added.
Despite this progress, the report noted that the world has failed to meet its target of eliminating child labour by 2025.
Reacting to the report, ILO Director-General, Gilbert Houngbo, expressed optimism that the findings of the 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 that they can afford to ensure that their children are in classrooms and not selling things in markets or on family farms to help support their family.
“But we must not be blindsided by the fact that we still have a long way to go before we achieve our goal of eliminating child labour,” said Houngbo
138 million children in child labour globally – ILO, UNICEF
The International Labour Organisation and United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund have revealed that no fewer than 138 million children were engaged in child labour globally in 2024.
The United Nations agencies added that an estimated 54 million of them were involved in hazardous work that posed serious risks to their health, safety, and development.
This is according to a joint report by both agencies, titled “Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, trends and the road forward”, released ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour marked annually on June 12.
The figure represents a decline of more than 20 million since 2020, reversing a previous spike recorded between 2016 and 2020, it added.
Despite this progress, the report noted that the world has failed to meet its target of eliminating child labour by 2025.
Reacting to the report, ILO Director-General, Gilbert Houngbo, expressed optimism that the findings of the 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 that they can afford to ensure that their children are in classrooms and not selling things in markets or on family farms to help support their family.
“But we must not be blindsided by the fact that we still have a long way to go before we achieve our goal of eliminating child labour,” said Houngbo
