eLearning Tools on Child Labour

  1. eLearning tools on child labour

    The eLearning tools are designed to help to better understand what child labour is and the key role ILO stakeholders can play.

Highlights

  1. Conference

    IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour, Buenos Aires, 14-16 November, 2017

    The ILO participates in the IV Global Conference on Child Labour which will bring together representatives from government, social partners, civil society, regional and international organizations to share policies and experiences in the global fight against child labour.

    The IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour will be organized by the Government of Argentina and will be held in Buenos Aires on 14-16 November 2017.

    Under the framework of the SDG Target 8.7, it was agreed that the IV Global Conference should cover both the sustained eradication of child labour and the elimination of forced labour and, in this context, it will also address the issue of the quality of youth employment.

International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)

Facts and figures

  • Worldwide 218 million children between 5 and 17 years are in employment.
    Among them, 152 million are victims of child labour; almost half of them, 73 million, work in hazardous child labour.
  • In absolute terms, almost half of child labour (72.1 million) is to be found in Africa; 62.1 million in the Asia and the Pacific; 10.7 million in the Americas; 1.2 million in the Arab States and 5.5 million in Europe and Central Asia.
  • In terms of prevalence, 1 in 5 children in Africa (19.6%) are in child labour, whilst prevalence in other regions is between 3% and 7%: 2.9% in the Arab States (1 in 35 children); 4.1% in Europe and Central Asia (1 in 25); 5.3% in the Americas (1 in 19) and 7.4% in Asia and the Pacific region (1 in 14).
  • Almost half of all 73 million children victims of child labour are aged 5-11 years.
    42 million (28%) are 12-14 years old; and 37 million (24%) are 15-17 years old.
  • Hazardous child labour is most prevalent among the 15-17 years old. Nevertheless up to a fourth of old hazardous child labour (19 million) is done by children less than 12 years old.
  • Among 152 children in child labour, 88 million are boys and 64 million are girls.
  • 58% of all children in child labour and 62% of all children in hazardous work are boys. Boys appear to face a greater risk of child labour than girls, but this may also be a reflection of an under-reporting of girls’ work, particularly in domestic child labour.
  • Child labour is concentrated primarily in agriculture (71%), which includes fishing, forestry, livestock herding and aquaculture, and comprises both subsistence and commercial farming; 17% in Services; and 12% in the Industrial sector, including mining.
Source: Global Estimates of Child Labour: Results and trends, 2012-2016, Geneva, September 2017.

News

  1. The International Partnership for Cooperation on Child Labour in Agriculture on the new ILO Global Estimates of Child Labour

    19 September 2017

  2. 40 million in modern slavery and 152 million in child labour around the world

    19 September 2017

  3. Alliance 8.7 to present the latest global estimates of modern slavery and child labour

    15 September 2017

  4. G20 Summit and Ministerial Declaration

    04 August 2017

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Events

  1. Forum on Tackling child labour in supply chains

    5 - 6 October 2017

  2. SHIELD against Child Labour Writeshop

    3 - 5 August 2017

  3. Songs and poems for one million Filipino children freed from child labour

    17 June 2017

  4. World Day Against Child Labour: In conflicts and disasters, protect children from child labour

    12 June 2017

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Just released

  1. Frequently asked questions on 2017 Global estimates of child labour

    19 September 2017

  2. Global Estimates of Child Labour: Results and trends, 2012-2016 [Full report]

    19 September 2017

  3. IPEC+ Flagship Strategy

    06 June 2017

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