160 Million Children Involved in Child Labour

At least 160 million children are still engaged in child labour which represents one in ten children worldwide.

This has been attributed to conflicts, crises and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has plunged more families into poverty – and forced millions more children into child labour.

Further,economic growth has not been sufficient, nor inclusive enough, to relieve the pressure that too many families and communities feel and that makes them resort to child labor.

This is according to statistics released during this year’s World Day Against Child Labour by International Labour Organization. This year’s theme was Social Justice for All. End Child Labour.

Child labour is caused by and perpetuates poverty and exclusion. It deprives children of education and opportunity and stacks the odds against their securing a decent income and stable employment as adults.

Africa ranks highest among regions both in the percentage of children in child labour — one-fifth — and the absolute number of children in child labour with 72million involved in the vice.. Asia and the Pacific ranks second highest in both these measures with 7 percent of all children representing 62 million children.

Africa and Asia and the Pacific regions together account for almost nine out of every ten children in child labour worldwide. The remaining child labour population is divided among the Americas,11 million, Europe and Central Asia ,6 million, and the Arab States (1 million). In terms of incidence, 5 percent of children are in child labour in the Americas, 4 percent in Europe and Central Asia, and 3 percent in the Arab States.