Why child labour still exists and how to stop it

Martha lived with her grandmother and younger sisters in Ethiopia. She wanted to help her grandmother make ends meet and provide for her sisters. So, she found work running errands and doing household chores for a local family. Although her income was small, it helped pay for her family's needs and her own tuition.

That’s how six-year-old Martha became her family’s breadwinner—at the cost of her own childhood.

On June 12, World Day Against Child Labour reminds us that children deserve the chance to learn, play and grow free from work that harms their development. Yet stories like Martha’s show how far we still have to go.

Martha’s reality is more common than it should be. Too many children remain trapped in child labour despite a global goal set by the United Nations to end it by 2025. This shows that most of us agree that children have the right to enjoy their childhood.

So why are millions of kids still forced to work today?

What is child labour?

Child labour is work that:

• Harms a child’s health, safety or well-being
• Prevents them from going to school or learning properly
• Interferes with their development or childhood
• Involves long hours working in fields, factories or shops
• Is hazardous due to tools, heavy loads and dangerous environments
• Replaces school entirely

Not all work done by children is considered child labour. Household chores can help children learn responsibility, as long as they are safe, age-appropriate and don’t interfere with school. Child labour, on the other hand, is work that harms a child’s well-being or prevents them from learning and growing.

Why does child labour still exist?

Today, about 138 million children are forced into child labour worldwide. For perspective, that’s roughly the population of Russia. Of these children, 54 million between five to 17 are risking their lives doing hazardous work.

There are three main factors driving child labour today.

1. Poverty

Childhood is a luxury many families living in poverty simply can’t afford. For these families, daily survival often depends on every member contributing in whatever way they can.

This pressure can force parents and caregivers to make difficult decisions—like pulling children out of school to earn an income—despite the long-term benefits that education can bring.

For children like Martha, this can mean taking on adult responsibilities far too early.

2. Conflict and displacement

A year after losing his father, violence erupted in Myanmar, forcing Noor and his family to flee. They now live in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh—the world’s largest refugee settlement.

At just eight years old, he left school to work as a labourer to help his large family survive.

Noor’s story reflects a wider crisis for Rohingya refugees. Conflict ended education for thousands of children when they fled Myanmar. Now, funding cuts to schools in Cox's Bazar threaten the education of 500,000 Rohingya children.

Without school, kids lose their best protection against child labour, exploitation and early marriage. As opportunities disappear, more children like Noor are left with few choices but to work—sacrificing their education and their future.

3. Lack of infrastructure and services

In some communities, children spend hours each day collecting firewood or water for their families. This is back-breaking work that goes beyond regular household chores. It's the kind of work that takes over your life.

This is something eight-year-old Nahimatu knows all too well. Her village lacks access to clean water, so she spends all day collecting it with her mother. Even though she isn’t paid, Nahimatu’s work is essential to her family’s survival—leaving her without the time or opportunity to go to school.

Her 14-year-old brother Hamdan (pictured at the very top) works as a welder, earning an income his family desperately needs. His status as the family breadwinner means he's never been to school and most likely never will.

For children like Nahimatu and Hamdan, the lack of basic services doesn’t just make life harder—it pushes them into forms of labour that shape the course of their lives.

What child labour looks like today

Child labour takes many forms, depending on where children live and the resources available to them. While it is often imagined as factory work, most child labour happens in less visible settings.

• Agriculture (61 per cent): Many children work on farms, tending crops or caring for livestock, often as part of family-based labour. Agriculture is often seen as the largest and most dangerous sector for child labour.
• Services (27 per cent): This includes domestic work, street vending and small-scale trade.
• Industry (13 per cent): Some children work in construction, mining or manufacturing—often in hazardous conditions.

In many cases, this work is not only physically demanding but also prevents children from attending school or limits their ability to learn and develop.

Why child labour matters

1. It keeps kids out of school

Simply put, child labour has a devastating and immediate impact on a child’s education. When children are busy working, they often have little time or energy left for school. For some families, short-term survival needs outweigh long-term goals for a better life. As seen in Noor's story, earning an income replaced going to school entirely.

2. It puts children's health and safety at risk

Many forms of child labour are not just demanding—they're dangerous. Some jobs, like welding, expose kids to hazardous environments, heavy loads or unsafe conditions. Around 54 million child labourers worldwide are doing dangerous work that can damage their health and well-being.

3. It reinforces cycles of poverty

Education is one of the most powerful ways to break the cycle of poverty. It gives children the skills and opportunities they need to build a better future. Without it, children are more likely to face the same struggles as their parents—and pass those challenges on to the next generation. In this way, child labour doesn’t just respond to poverty; it helps sustain it.

What actually helps reduce child labour

Addressing child labour requires more than one solution. Because the causes are so complex—ranging from poverty to lack of access to education—effective approaches must support both children and their families.

1. Access to education

Access to education helps keep children out of work by giving them a safe and structured environment to learn and grow. When school is accessible, affordable and supported, children are far less likely to enter the workforce too early.

2. Family income support

When families have stable incomes, they’re less likely to rely on their children to contribute financially. World Vision’s approach combines livelihoods, child protection and community development to help families build stable futures without depending on child labour.

3. Child protection programs

In crisis-affected settings, targeted child protection programs play a crucial role. These programs identify children at risk, connect their families to support services, and help keep children safe. Noor, for example, entered a World Vision Child-Friendly Space, where he was able to return to learning while spending time with other children. There, he learned about his rights and how to protect himself and others from risks like child labour and exploitation.

4. Community-level solutions

In many cases, reducing child labour means addressing the systems that shape daily life. Access to essentials like clean water, safe infrastructure, and nearby schools can significantly reduce the time children spend on daily survival tasks. In communities where children spend hours collecting water or firewood, these changes can make the difference between working and learning.

When solutions come together

When these supports work together, they can create lasting change. World Vision connected Martha with a child sponsor, helping transform her life and her community. With access to education, basic needs and community support, children like Martha can stay in school and build stable futures instead of entering work too early. Today, Martha has graduated and now works in a stable government job—an outcome that shows what’s possible when children are given the support they need.

What you can do

Child labour is a complex issue, but there are ways to help.

• Sponsor a child to support their access to education, protection and basic needs.
• Raise awareness by sharing what you’ve learned.
• Make informed choices about supporting ethical products and businesses.
• Stay engaged and continue learning about the issue.

The same types of support that helped children like Martha and Noor can help many more stay in school, stay safe and build a better future.