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The purpose of this indicator is for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldier.

The number of children engaged in child labour corresponds to the number of children reported to be in child labour during the reference period (usually the week prior to the survey). The proportion of children in child labour is calculated as the number of children in child labour divided by the total number of children in the population. For the purposes of this indicator, children include all persons aged 5 to 17.

Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB)

Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB)

Annual

Percentage (%)

Far too many children in the world remain trapped in child labour, compromising their individual future and our collective futures. According to the latest ILO global estimates, about 152 million children worldwide – 64 million girls and 88 million boys - are child labourers, accounting for almost 10 percent of the child population. These stark figures underscore the need for accelerated progress against child labour in the lead up to the 2025 target date for ending child labour in all its forms, and the accompanying need for child labour statistics to monitor and guide efforts in this regard. Reliable, comprehensive and timely data on the nature and extent of child labour provide a basis for determining priorities for national global action against child labour. Statistical information on child labour, and more broadly on all working children, also provide a basis for increasing public awareness of the situation of working children and for the development of appropriate regulatory frameworks and policies.

Three principal international legal instruments – ILO Convention No. 138 (Minimum Age) (C138), United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), ILO Convention No. 182 (Worst Forms) (C182) together set the legal boundaries for child labour and provide the legal basis for national and international actions against it.  In accordance with these instruments, child labour is work that children should not be doing because (a) they are too young or (b) is likely to harm their health, safety or morals, due to its nature or the conditions in which it is carried out.

In accordance with the ICLS resolutions, child labour can be measured on the basis of the production boundary set by the United Nations System of National Accounts (SNA) or on the basis of the general production boundary. The former limits the frame of reference to economic activity, while the latter extends it to include both economic activity and unpaid household services, that is, the production of domestic and personal services by a household member for consumption within their own household, commonly called “household chores”.

Following from this, two indicators are used for measuring child labour for the purpose of SDG reporting, the first based on the production boundary set by the United Nations System of National Accounts (SNA) and the second based on the general production boundary.

Indicator 1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in economic activities at or above age-specific hourly thresholds (SNA production boundary basis)

• Child labour for the 5 to 11 age range: children working at least 1 hour per week in economic activity;
• Child labour for the 12 to 14 age range: children working for at least 14 hours per week in economic activity;
• Child labour for the 15 to 17 age range: children working for more than 43 hours per week in economic activity.

Indicator 2: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in economic activities and household chores at or above age-specific hourly thresholds (general production boundary basis):

• Child labour for the 5 to 11 age range: children working at least 1 hour per week in economic activity and/or involved in unpaid household services for more than 21 hours per week;
• Child labour for the 12 to 14 age range: children working for at least 14 hours per week in economic activity and/or involved in unpaid household services for more than 21 hours per week;
• Child labour for the 15 to 17 age range: children working for more than 43 hours per week in economic activity.

The concept of child labour also includes the worst forms of child labour other than hazardous as well as hazardous work .The worst forms of child labour include all forms of slavery or similar practices such as trafficking and the recruitment and use of child soldiers, the use or procurement of children for prostitution or other illicit activities, and other work that is likely to harm children’s health, safety or well-being.

is by sex and age.

This indicator is calculated using the following formula: Number of children (in different age intervals) reported in child labour during the week prior to the survey divided by the total number of children (in different age intervals) in the population, multiplied by 100.

1. This indicator can be used to measure the number of children engaged in child labour.
2.  This indicator helps associated line ministries in the government to develop appropriate regulatory frameworks and policies surrounding the child labor.

Further methodological work is needed to validate questions specifically aimed at identifying children in hazardous working conditions.

While the concept of child labour includes working in activities that are hazardous in nature, to ensure comparability of estimates over time and to minimize data quality issues, work beyond age-specific hourly thresholds are used as a proxy for hazardous work for the purpose of reporting on SDG indicator 8.7.1. 

All the metadata shown in this document was gathered from United Nation Statistics Division. The metadata was extracted from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/.