A joint report by UNICEF and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has revealed that 138 million children were engaged in child labour in 2024. While the number is alarming, it marks a decline of 20 million compared to data collected from 2016 to 2020.
The report highlights the ongoing global challenge of protecting children from hazardous work environments that threaten their safety, health, and development. Despite progress made since 2020, millions of children remain trapped in unsafe labour across various sectors and regions.
According to the UN agencies, this reduction is a step forward but still far from the 2025 goal of eradicating child labour entirely. Structural inequalities, poverty, and limited access to education continue to fuel the problem.
The findings serve as a call to action for governments and stakeholders to scale up investments in child protection, education, and social safety nets to truly end child labour in the years ahead.
