• Child labor fell from 245.5 million in 2000 to 137.6 million in 2024.
• ILO says the reduction rate must increase elevenfold to meet the 2030 goal.
• Sub-Saharan Africa has 87 million child laborers, nearly two-thirds of the global total.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) warned the world must cut child labor 11 times faster to eliminate it by 2030. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set a 2025 target, but tens of millions of minors still work in harmful conditions. The ILO says there is still time to meet the 2030 goal if urgent action is taken.

Between 2000 and 2024, child labor numbers fell from 245.5 million to 137.6 million. SDG 8.7, adopted in 2015, aimed to end it entirely by 2025. An ILO report released in June 2025 said that to meet the 2030 deadline, the pace of reduction over the past four years must increase elevenfold.

If the world shifts the goal to 2045 or 2060, progress must still accelerate by seven and four times respectively. The ILO stressed that only broad, rapid reforms can make any target achievable.

The ILO urged governments to provide free, quality education to all children to keep them out of the labor force. It called for stronger laws, including universal birth registration, to protect children. The agency also pushed for better access to clean water and electricity, reducing the need for children to perform hard labor and freeing time for school. Universal social protection would help families weather economic shocks.

The report highlighted the need to remove child labor from supply chains, especially in informal microenterprises where exploitation is common.

Sub-Saharan Africa has 87 million child laborers—nearly two-thirds of the global total. The region’s prevalence rate is 22% among children aged 5 to 17, compared with 8% in North Africa and West Asia, and a global average of 7.8%. The prevalence fell by 10% between 2020 and 2024, but population growth kept absolute numbers high.

If trends persist, child labor will be almost entirely concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa after 2030, potentially surpassing 100 million children. Even at current reduction rates, it would take until 2060 to halve that figure.

Climate change could push 32 to 132 million more people into extreme poverty by 2030, driving more children into work. Shifts in agricultural productivity may push families toward mining or manufacturing, increasing exploitation.

Conflicts and weak governance also worsen the problem. Child labor rates reach 21% in conflict zones, compared with 5% in stable areas. Income disparities are stark: nearly one in four children work in low-income countries, versus less than 1% in high-income states.

The ILO said ending child labor is only possible if global actors work with local communities and invest in sustainable alternatives. Without that, it warned, efforts risk simply moving the problem elsewhere, breaking the promise of a childhood free from labor by 2030.

This article was initially published in French by Emiliano Tossou

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum