Geneva: Nearly 138 million children worldwide were engaged in child labour in 2024, with around 54 million involved in hazardous work, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF. The report, titled “Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, Trends and the Road Forward,” highlights that although the number of children in labour has decreased by over 20 million since 2020, the global target of eliminating child labour by 2025 remains unmet.

According to the report, agriculture is the largest sector for child labour, comprising 61 per cent of cases. This is followed by services, including domestic work, at 27 per cent, and industry, such as mining and manufacturing, at 13 per cent. The regions of Asia and the Pacific have shown significant progress, with child labour rates dropping from 6 per cent to 3 per cent since 2020. Sub-Saharan Africa, however, continues to bear the largest burden, with nearly two-thirds of all child labour cases occurring there.

The report emphasizes that sustained and increased funding is crucial to maintain recent gains and prevent a reversal of progress. Shrinking investments in education and social protection could push vulnerable families towards child labour as a means of survival.

UNICEF and ILO are urging governments to invest in social protection, strengthen child protection systems, and ensure access to quality education. The agencies also call for enforcing laws to end exploitation and protect children across supply chains.

Despite the progress made since 2000, when child labour figures were at 246 million, the rate of reduction is not fast enough to meet the global elimination goal by 2025. To achieve this target, the current rates of progress would need to accelerate significantly.