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  • Publication | 2026
Child labour in agriculture: Statistical briefing note
Global Food and Nutrition Security

This statistical briefing note examines the scale, characteristics and drivers of child labour in agriculture, drawing on the 2024 ILO–UNICEF Global Estimates. It shows that agriculture remains the sector employing the majority of children in child labour worldwide, with particularly high prevalence among younger children and in rural, low-income and crisis-affected settings. The publication explores who these children are, the types of work they perform – including hazardous activities – the underlying socioeconomic, gender and structural factors sustaining child labour, and the growing influence of climate change. It concludes by highlighting priority policy and programme actions needed to accelerate progress towards eliminating child labour in agriculture.