Overview

• The global number of child laborers decreased from 160 million in 2020 to 138 million in 2025 but falls short of the Sustainable Development Goal to end child labor.
• The count of children engaged in hazardous work dropped from 79 million to 54 million over the same period.
• Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for nearly two-thirds of child laborers, with 86.6 million children working and population growth offsetting prevalence gains.
• Cuts in donor funding for education and social protection risk reversing four years of progress, UNICEF’s executive director Catherine Russell warned.
• Experts urge stronger enforcement of child labor laws, expanded social safety nets, and increased access to quality schooling to tackle poverty, conflict and climate-driven shocks.