As the world prepares to mark the World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, a new report jointly released by the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund has revealed that approximately 138 million children were engaged in child labour in 2024—54 million of whom were involved in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety, and development.
The report, released on Wednesday, shows a modest decline from 160 million in 2020, but warns that progress is too slow to meet the global goal of ending child labour by 2025.
“Today, nearly 138 million children are in child labour worldwide, down from 160 million four years ago,” the report states.
“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 acknowledges the downward trend but notes that current efforts fall drastically short of what is required to eliminate child labour globally. According to the agencies, progress would need to be 11 times faster to meet the 2025 target.
“This success can be attributed to some well-known policy imperatives that, if sustained and scaled up, could bring about an end to child labour,” the report emphasised. It added that the feared spike in child labour following the COVID-19 pandemic did not materialise, and that the world has resumed a path of improvement.
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UNICEF and the ILO highlighted the importance of free, high-quality education, strong legal frameworks, and economic policies that integrate child protection to sustain the momentum.
“These policies include ensuring free and high-quality schooling as an alternative to child labour, equipping education systems to ease the school-to-work transition, and aligning legal protections with international standards,” the agencies said.
However, the report stresses that efforts to curb child labour must be tied to broader development agendas.
“To be fully effective, child labour concerns must be systematically mainstreamed into economic and social policy planning—from macroeconomic frameworks to labour market reforms and sectoral strategies.”
In a call to global leaders, the report asserts: “We have the blueprint for success—the right policies, adequate resources and unwavering commitment. Now is the time to act to free future generations from child labour.”
The findings come just a day after the International Day of Play on June 11, a reminder of the fundamental rights many children around the world are still denied.
World Day Against Child Labour was established by the ILO in 2002 to focus global attention on the urgent need to eliminate child labour, especially in its worst forms.
Despite international conventions and national laws, millions of children remain vulnerable—particularly in the agriculture, manufacturing, and domestic sectors.
The UN bodies urge governments, civil society, and the private sector to prioritise child protection in national development plans and to ensure that the gains made so far are not reversed.
“The latest estimates underscore the magnitude of the challenge of ending child labour. They also point to progress, and in doing so, affirm the possibilities,” the report concludes.
