In a joint report released on Wednesday, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed that nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labour globally in 2024, including 54 million involved in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety, and development.
The report precedes the World Day Against Child Labour, observed annually on June 12, and the International Day of Play on June 11.
According to the findings, the number of children in child labour has decreased from 160 million in 2020 to 138 million in 2024 — a reduction of over 20 million in four years.
“Today, nearly 138 million children are in child labour worldwide, down from 160 million four years ago. There are over 100 million fewer children in child labour today than in 2000, even as the child population increased by 230 million over the same period,” the report stated.
Despite the progress, the report noted that the world is not on track to meet the global goal of ending child labour by 2025. While the rate of child labour has nearly halved since 2000, the pace of decline is now too slow to meet international targets.
