Brazil Records Lowest Child Labor Rate Since 2016

Overview

• Brazil had 1.499 million children and adolescents aged 5–17 in child labor in 2025, equal to 4% of that age group and a 9.2% drop from 2024, according to IBGE PNAD data.
• About 525,000 young people were in the list of 'worst forms' of child labor in 2025, the smallest number since the PNAD series began and down 6.3% from 2024.
• Older adolescents dominate the total: 16–17-year-olds made up 58.1% of cases (871,000), with 67% of working 16–17-year-olds in informal jobs and lower school attendance than peers.
• Most of the national reduction came from households receiving Bolsa Família, where cases fell by roughly 144,000 and accounted for more than 95% of the overall decline, a pattern IBGE links to higher per-capita income and a tighter labor market.
• Large regional and racial gaps remain: the Southeast has the largest number of working children while the North shows the highest rate, Black and Brown youths are overrepresented in hazardous work, and official inspections report far fewer cases than household surveys, complicating enforcement and removal efforts.