Revisiting Global Trends of Child Labour from 2000 to 2024

Fengqing Chao , The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
Estelle Laurière, INED - Institut National d'Etudes Démographiques
Andrea Verhulst, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)

Ending child labour in all its forms by 2025 is the target of SDG 8.7. Yet, according to a recent ILO–UNICEF report, 138 million children aged 5--17 were still engaged in child labour in 2024. Despite these figures, the reliability of global estimates remains uncertain with little evaluation of their comparability or associated uncertainty. To address this gap, we create a Bayesian hierarchical, data-driven model that shares information across countries within regions. Beyond conventional economic definitions, we extend the scope of child labour measurement to include domestic work and flexible thresholds for age and hours worked. To support this effort, we introduce the Child Labour (CL) Database, a publicly accessible resource providing updated global estimates with detailed disaggregation by age, sex, type of activity, and hours worked. This new flexible tool enables a more comprehensive and transparent assessment of child labour worldwide.

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 Presented in Session 115. Childhood Conditions and Human Capital Formation