Prevalence: Child labour still affects an estimated 138 million children globally, down from 246 million in 2000, but progress remains too slow to meet global targets.

SDG Target Shortfall: The world has fallen short of the 2025 target to eliminate child labour. To meet this goal within the next five years, the current rate of progress would need to be 11 times faster.

Gender and Location Disparities: Boys are more likely than girls to be in child labour across all age groups. Child labour is also nearly three times more prevalent in rural areas (14%) than in urban areas (5%).

Sector Focus: The agriculture sector remains the most dominant, accounting for 70% (112 million) of all children in child labour, followed by services and industry.