Child labour: facts and how to help

This article was updated by Mauro Flammini on August 19, 2026

Child labour is term used to describe work that:

• Places a child's health, safety or well-being in harm's way.
• Prevents childrem from attending school regularly, properly or completely.
• Hinders their development and childhood.
• Requires long hours working in fields, factories or shops.
• Is hazardous due to tools, heavy loads and dangerous woking conditions.

Canadians might categorize child labour as something that happens in the dark corners of far-off places, but the reality is child labour remains a rampant issue today, both at home and abroad.

How widespread is child labour?

Globally, 138 million children are engaged in child labour, including 54 million in hazardous work.

These numbers, thankfully, are lower than they were at the beginning of 2020, when the numbers were 160 million and 79 millon, respectively.

And while progress is being made, there is still much progress to be made when it comes to eradicating child labour.

Where is child labour happening the most?

Child labour exists in every region of the world. But millions of children in some parts of the globe are more likely to be caught in a cycle of tough work, poverty and limited opportunities.

Africa

Africa has the highest prevelance of child labour in the world. In 2024, an estimated 86.6 million children aged 5 to 17 (one-in-five children) were engaged in child labour across countries such as:

• South Sudan
• Ethiopia
• Chad
• Cameroon
• Burkina Faso

Central and Southern Asia

An estimated 17 million children aged 5 to 17 are engaged in child labour across Central and Southern Asia. That's about 3.4 per cent of children across the region.

Eastern and Southeastern Asia

Approximately 13.2 million children aged 5 to 17 are engaged in child labour. This represents almost six per cent of children.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Across Latin America and the Caribbean, an estimated 7.3 million children and adolescents are engaged in child labour, 4.7 million of which are engaged in hazardous work. Overall, over five per cent of children in the region are engaged in child labour of some sort.

Europe and North America

Child labour is less prevalent in Europe and North America compared to other regions. But it still exists.

In 2024, an estimated 2.3 million children aged 5 to 17 were engaged in child labour. That accounts for almost two per cent of all children across the region.

Facts, FAQs and how you can help end child labour

1. What is child labour?

Child labour is defined as the use of children in industry or business, especially when illegal or considered inhumane.

The work that these children do is often harmful to their health, interferes with their education, or inhibits their physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

Currently , 3.3 million children globally are trapped in forced labour which includes children in the following situations:

• Debt bondage
• Slavery
• Commercial sexual exploitation

A child’s age, the type of work and the hours of work performed are determining factors in whether a particular form of work can be classified as child labour.

Child labour defined

Generally, unsafe child labour practices are defined in part by the number of working hours for a specific child’s age. Unsafe child labour includes any of:

• The worst forms of child labour: Slavery, human trafficking, forced labour, recruitment of children in armed conflict, sexual exploitation and the use of children in illegal activities. Hazardous work is also considered one of the worst forms of child labour.
• Work by children who are too young: Economic activity by children aged 5 to 11 for at least one hour per week is classified as child labour.
• Long hours: Children aged 12 to 14 (working 14 hours or more per week) and children aged 15 to 17 (working 43 or more hours per week) can meet the stastical threshold for child labour.
• Hazardous working conditions: Regardless of hours, hazardous work occurs when children work at night, underground or underwater, with dangerous machinery or loads, using heavy tools and in dangerous environments.

In its most extreme forms, child labour can put children's health, safety and development at serious risk. It robs them of opportunities to learn, play and build a better future.

2. What are the causes of child labour?

• Poverty: Like so many other issues in the world, the root cause of child labour is poverty. Unemployment and the need to survive often lead families to make desperate decisions. Lack of education can also impact children – since their parents may not understand or see the short and long-term value of their child receiving an education instead of working.
• Crisis:​ Natural disasters, man-made disasters or the death of one or both parents can force children into hazardous work to help their family survive day-to-day.
• Chronic emergencies:Things like repeated drought or famine can leave families in dire circumstances where working to survive is one of the few options.
• Conflict War or government corruption can turn the lives of children upside down, forcing them to abandon schooling and regular routines to earn a living.
• Demand​:The demand for low prices and cheap obedient labour can trap children in hazardous work.

3. What are the effects of child labour?

There are many ways that child labour can affect children, and these can vary depending on which industry the child is working in.

Generally, child labourers can suffer from long-term health problems due to malnutrition, exposure to chemicals, abuse, injuries, exhaustion and psychological harm across multiple working enviornments:

Agriculture

• Children may be exposed to toxic pesticides or fertilizers. They work with dangerous blades and tools and carry heavy loads.

Mining

• Children may use poisonous chemicals, face the risk of mine collapse and sometimes work with explosives.

Construction

• Children may carry heavy loads, work at heights without safety equipment and risk injury from dangerous machinery.

Manufacturing

• Children may use toxic solvents, perform repetitive tasks in painful positions and risk injury from sharp tools.

Domestic work

• Children risk abuse, work long hours and often live in isolation from their families and friends.

It is also true that children who work often don’t get a proper education.

Long, strenuous work days can leave kids exhausted and unable to attend classes or do their homework.

And for parents who are struggling to keep their families afloat, sending kids to school is a luxury they cannot afford.

4. Is there a problem with child labour in Canada today?

Unfortunately, yes.

Child labour laws in Canada were enacted at the beginning of the 20th century and outlawed the employment of children. But Canadians continue to be affected by child labour today.

Research published in 2016 and updated in 2021 found that over 1,200 companies operating in Canada are known to be importing goods at a high risk of being produced by a child or through forced labour. The majority of these companies are disclosing very little information, if any, on the policies, practices and processes they have in place to address these risks.

This means that the average Canadian is likely to be connected to child labour through the everyday products we buy and consume.

5. What is Canada doing to stop child labour?

In 2021, the government of Canada pledged to conduct a risk assessment of federal procurement supply chains. It dentified goods that may have been made or produced through child labour, forced labour or human trafficking.

Bill S-211, otherwise known as the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act, was passed on May 3, 2023, after receiving unanimous support in the Senate earlier in the year.

The bill came into force on January 1, 2024 and requires Canadian companies to check that none of their goods or components are produced in sweatshops employing children or people forced to work in dangerous conditions for meagre pay.

They must also report on their efforts to prevent and mitigate the risks of child and forced labour in their operations, enabling Canadians to have confidence that their purchases are ethical,

In 2025, it was found that:

• 4,178 entities submitted reports in 2025.
• 3,320 (79.5%) were headquartered or principally located in Canada.
• 3,485 entities (83.4%) had either identified forced-labour/child-labour risks in their activities or supply chains, or had started the process of identifying them.

Canada is a leader in promoting the respect and dignity of all people, regardless of where they live.

But we’re not yet doing our part to call for greater transparency in global supply chains. With a growing number of jurisdictions taking legislative action, it’s time for Canada to uphold their commitment to introduce more legislation build on the meaningful progress generated by Bill S-211.

6. You mentioned supply chains. What are those?

A supply chain is the system of organizations, people, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from the supplier to the customer.

Supply chains can include many touchpoints and be very difficult to follow. For example, a shoe:

• Might have its sole glued on in one factory...
• ...travel elsewhere to get laces...
• ...be packaged in a different facility...
• ...and make a few additional stops before being shipped to Canada.

A child labourer involved in any step of this lengthy process can connect the product, and the consumer, to child labour.

7. How can I stop child labour?

After everything you’ve read, you may be wondering how to stop child labour? As a Canadian consumer, you have more power to demand change than you think.

In 2021, Canada imported at least 98 “risky” products, such as electronics, garments and textiles. This is an increase of nearly 30 per cent since 2016.

These products have well-documented cases of worker exploitation and may contain high instances of child and/or forced labour in some countries.

When you’re better equipped with information that can help you identify goods that may be linked to child labour, you can purchase goods that are ethically sourced, ethically made and ethically distributed.

When consumers shop in a conscious way, companies are more likely to take notice and address their supply chain practices. These tips can help you become a more ethically conscious shopper.

Quick read: child labour facts (updated August 2026)

Here are some child labour facts to help you understand the issue:

• It’s estimated that there are 138 million victims of child labour worldwide.
• Over 54 million child labour victims work in dirty, dangerous and degrading jobs.
• Almost half of all child labourers are between the ages 5 and 11.
• Approximately 3.3 million children work in forced labour, including debt bondage, slavery and commercial sexual exploitation.
• Over 1,200 companies operating in Canada are known to be importing goods at a high risk of being produced by a child or through forced labour.
• More than $43 billion worth of goods imported into Canada in 2020 were at risk of being produced by child or forced labour. That represents nearly 8 per cent of Canada's total imports at the time.
• Globally, nine per cent of all boys and seven per cent of all girls are victims of child labour. Boys are found in hazardous, industrial jobs like construction and farming while girls may be performing "hidden" forms of work, such as domestic labour.
• At least 71 per cent of child labour victims are in agriculture: fishing, forestry, livestock herding and commercial farming.
• Approximately 27 per cent in children in child labour work in services, incuding domestic work, small-scale commerce and other informal activities.
• Around 13 per cent are in industries such as sweatshops, factories, mining, brick making and stone quarries.
• In 2000, approximately 246 million children were victims of child labour. In 2026, it's dropped to 138 million. That's a 44 per cent reduction.

Progress, but not enough

United Nations (UN) member states—which include Canada—committed to ending all forms of child labour, modern slavery and forced labour by 2025 in a project called Target 8.7.

The world missed its 2025 target to end child labour. But it can still be met with your help.

Support World Vision Canada and let's end child labour together

For so many families, having their children work is an inevitable reality. But it's one that could change if parents had reliable income-earning opportunities in their communities, and children had the stability and resources needed to attend school.

With World Vision Canada, you can provide just that. Here's how:

Sponsor a child: Transform a child’s life by providing access education, healthcare and hope.

Give where most needed: Provide essentials like food, healthcare and education to help children overcome extreme poverty and potentially avoid a life of forced labour.

END the cycle of poverty: Feed hungry children and families and bring clean water to people and communities who need it.

END economic insecurity: Help provide indepdendence. Support families and women to build successful businesses, sustainable livelihoods and paths out of extreme poverty.

Article originally updated by Melanie Ramos