Global estimates of child labour: Results and trends, 2012-2016

The new global estimates are a collective effort from members of Alliance 8.7, the global partnership to end forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour that brings together key partners representing governments, UN organisations, the private sector, workers’ and employers’ organizations and civil society in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7.

The 2017 Global Estimates can be found online here.

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 all hazardous child labour (19 million) is done by children less than 12 years old.
Among 152 million 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.

Global estimates of child labour - Results and trends, 2012-2016 DOWNLOAD

Human Suffering in Italy’s Agricultural Value Chain

Publications

This report is one of a series of case studies to supplement the global campaign report, Ripe for Change, drawing attention to the plight of specific groups of small-scale farmers or workers in international food value chains and/or promoting succes...Read More

TAGS: Sourcing or Production Agriculture, Horticulture & Landscaping Europe

Increased Transparency of Forced Labour and Money Laundering in Seafood Supply Chains

Publications

This briefing paper by Liberty Shared sets out recent improvements to the transparency of supply chains and analysis techniques and resources being increasingly applied by civil society to identify where exploitative activities exist in a supply chai...Read More

TAGS: Aquaculture & Fishing Financial sector Asia

Non-lea Overview of Live Modern Slavery Investigations (MSID) in UK Policing

Publications

This update provides a monthly overview of live police investigations being undertaken by police/ ROCUs across the UK, including PSNI and Police Scotland. This only includes those investigations that the Modern Slavery Insight Team have been made aw...Read More

TAGS:

National Hotline 2019 Indiana State Report

Graphics & InfographicsPublications

The data in this report represents signals and cases from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 and is accurate as of July 30, 2020. Cases of trafficking may be ongoing or new information may revealed to the National Hotline over time. Consequen...Read More

TAGS: North America