Global Child Labor Continues to Fall While Africa’s Youth Population Continues to Grow

     UNICEF estimates that 138 million children are forced to do labor, and 59 million of those are forced to do what is considered dangerous labor. Global child labor rates have been falling for a long time and continue to fall. Efforts to protect children from danger and mistreatment need to be continued and robust.

     HumanProgress.org, in a 2023 article, asserts that the reduction of child labor is a measure of human progress.

“According to the International Labour Organization, child laborers as a proportion of all children ages 5 to 17 dropped globally from 16 percent in 2000 to 9.6 percent in 2016. That year, 19.6 percent of children worked in Africa, 7.4 percent in Asia and the Pacific, 5.3 percent in the Americas, 4.1 percent in Europe and Central Asia, and 2.9 percent in the Arab states.”

“The total number of child laborers fell from 246 million in 2000 to 152 million in 2016. Almost half of child laborers in 2016 were in Africa (72.1 million), 62.1 million were in Asia and the Pacific, 10.7 million were in the Americas, 5.5 million were in Europe and Central Asia, and 1.2 million were in the Arab States. Agriculture accounted for 71 percent of child laborers, services for 17 percent, and industry for 12 percent. In spite of continued population growth, the International Labour Organization expects that by 2025 the total number of child laborers will decline to between 121 million and 88 million.”

     UNICEF monitors child labor and keeps statistics:

“Child labor is defined as work that is done by someone who is too young, or work that, based on the nature or circumstances, is harmful to a child's physical or mental health, social or educational development.”

“Agriculture remains the largest sector for child labor, accounting for 61 percent of all cases, mostly related to subsistence or family farming. The services sector, the second largest, includes domestic work and selling goods in markets. Industry, including mining and manufacturing, accounts for roughly 13 percent of child labor cases.”   

     Below are UNICEF’s current efforts toward addressing child labor and what works to reduce it.

 

     It seems to me that if adults, the children’s parents, could earn an adequate income, there would be no need for child labor. Therefore, work opportunities for adults should be pursued and supported. They do mention decent work for adults and youth in their recommendations. Another thing that should be encouraged is modernizing energy systems and power grids, expanding energy access, and economic and business development. Financing should be available for these projects regardless of carbon emissions concerns, although efforts should be made to reduce emissions if possible, especially local pollution emissions.

     The Marrakech Global Framework for Action against Child Labour: 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held this past February, summarized agendas and frameworks to address child labor. Many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are behind planned trajectories. Perhaps those trajectories were overly ambitious or aspirational, and geopolitical events like COVID and wars have affected economies. They note that workers’ rights are human rights. They note that social dialogue is important in addressing child labor and ensuring workers’ rights. They emphasize the importance of “accountability, participation, empowerment and transparency in policy and programmatic responses.” The presence of armed conflict hinders child labor reduction efforts, so securing peace is advantageous.

“Recognizing the emerging challenge posed by online exploitation of children, a phenomenon that requires the formulation and implementation of specialized regulatory and intervention strategies capable of ensuring its effective prevention and response.”

     They stress that eliminating child labor among those aged 5-11 is a priority. Most of the kids in that age group are engaged in agricultural labor. They also stress eliminating child labor among migrant groups, especially when it is assigned by human traffickers.

 

Africa Leads Population Growth, and by 2050, 25% of People on Earth Will Be African

     Africa’s population is projected to grow from 1.6 billion today to 2.5 billion over the next 25 years, while global population growth is projected to continue slowing, with continued declines in developed countries. 

     Africa’s youth population is already huge, with 60% of its people under the age of 25. It has the highest fertility rate, and its replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman (the birth rate required for countries to maintain their population size) is also the highest in the world. GZero World notes that improved health care and better access to medicine are reducing child deaths.

     Unfortunately, the continent also has high unemployment rates. South Africa, one of Africa’s most prosperous countries, has an astounding unemployment rate of 32%. The continent also has the world’s highest poverty rate. That makes it seem like eliminating child labor there will remain challenging since 63% of global child labor occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa.

     According to GZero World:

“Regional conflicts, including instability across the Sahel, heavy debt burdens, and external shocks – like disruptions to global energy and fertilizer markets caused by the Iran war – could hamper job creation and the overall economic outlook.”

‘Africa is becoming the world’s demographic powerhouse. Whether it also becomes an economic one will depend on its ability to match the scale of its youth boom. If they can, young Africans could become the continent’s greatest competitive advantage in a world that is rapidly growing older.”

 

 

 

References:

 

Children Labor Less: As the economy expanded, labor competition increased and wages grew, child labor became more uncommon. Marian L. Tupy and Ronald Bailey. Human Progress.org. March 1, 2023. Children Labor Less - Human Progress

Africa’s Fountain of Youth. Graphic Truth. Natalie Johnson. GZero World. July 6, 2026. Africa’s fountain of youth - GZERO Media

The Global Child Labor Crisis. UNICEF USA. The Global Child Labor Crisis | UNICEF USA

Marrakech Global Framework for Action against Child Labour. 6^th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour. February 2026. Marrakech Global Framework for Action against Child Labour.pdf

Global Child Labour Statistics: Child labor facts and figures: nearly 138 million children in child labor worldwide. Discover causes, effects, and where child labor is most common. The Child Protection Global Network (CPGN). Global Child Labour Chart & Key Statistics 2026 | Latest stats

Despite progress, child labour still affects nearly 138 million children worldwide. UNICEF. Child Labor Statistics - UNICEF DATA