Law against practice

Of the 17 countries where 20% or more of children are in child labour, 16 have ratified both ILO conventions on child labour (C138 and C182).

Countries where 20% or more of children are in child labour, and the two ILO conventions% of children aged 5–17
  • C138 and C182 both ratified
  • C182 only
  1. Burundi202053.5%
  2. Niger202242.4%
  3. Uganda202140.1%
  4. Cameroon201433.4%
  5. Chad201930.9%
  6. Guinea-Bissau202230.4%
  7. Nigeria202228.1%
  8. Vanuatu202326.7%
  9. Tonga201925.9%
  10. Togo202225.7%
  11. Zimbabwe201925.6%
  12. Madagascar202224.7%
  13. Malawi202024.1%
  14. Laos202321.8%
  15. Liberia202021.1%
  16. Mali202021%
  17. Sierra Leone201721%
Median share of children in child labour, by ILAB’s 2024 grade of government effort% of children aged 5–17
  1. Significant Advancement6 countries4.2%
  2. Moderate Advancement42 countries8.6%
  3. Minimal Advancement27 countries7%
  4. No Advancement4 countries16%

Countries where 20% or more of children are in child labour

CountryChild labour, % of childrenSurvey yearC138 (minimum age), year ratifiedMinimum age declaredC182 (worst forms), year ratified
Burundi53.52020Yes 200016Yes 2002
Niger42.42022Yes 197814Yes 2000
Uganda40.12021Yes 200314Yes 2001
Cameroon33.42014Yes 200114Yes 2002
Chad30.92019Yes 200514Yes 2000
Guinea-Bissau30.42022Yes 200914Yes 2008
Nigeria28.12022Yes 200215Yes 2002
Vanuatu26.72023Yes 201914Yes 2006
Tonga25.92019Nonot ratifiedYes 2020
Togo25.72022Yes 198414Yes 2000
Zimbabwe25.62019Yes 200014Yes 2000
Madagascar24.72022Yes 200015Yes 2001
Malawi24.12020Yes 199914Yes 1999
Laos21.82023Yes 200514Yes 2005
Liberia21.12020Yes 202215Yes 2003
Mali212020Yes 200215Yes 2000
Sierra Leone212017Yes 201115Yes 2011
Median prevalence by ILAB grade
ILAB grade, 2024CountriesMedian child labour, % of children
Significant Advancement64.2
Moderate Advancement428.6
Minimal Advancement277
No Advancement416

What this joins

How it was computed

Countries are joined by name across the prevalence readings, the ILO ratification records and ILAB’s 2024 country assessments.

“Both ratified” means C138 and C182 are both marked ratified.

Median prevalence by grade is computed over the 79 countries that hold both an ILAB grade and a prevalence reading.

What it does not show

  • Ratification is a legal act whose year varies; prevalence readings date from 2010 to 2025.
  • The ILAB grade measures a government’s effort in one year, not an outcome.
  • 7 surveyed countries are not matched by name in the ratification file.

Read the method note Back to Analysis