Child labour affects over 8.6 million children in Pakistan

More than 8.6 million children in Pakistan are engaged in child labour, including over 6.6 million involved in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety and overall development, according to a new national report launched by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) in collaboration with UNICEF.

The report, titled Pakistan: Child Labour Surveys, Evidence for Action, provides the country’s first nationally representative child labour dataset in nearly three decades. It offers a detailed assessment of the scale, distribution, sectors and underlying causes of child labour across Pakistan.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha highlighted that Pakistan’s last comprehensive child labour survey was conducted in 1996. She noted that policymakers and development organizations had been relying on outdated information for more than 20 years, making it difficult to design effective interventions.

According to the report, Punjab bears the highest burden, with approximately 6 million children involved in labour. Sindh follows with around 1.6 million child labourers, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa records 745,155 cases, Balochistan 201,352 and Islamabad Capital Territory 15,180.

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The findings identify poverty as the primary factor driving child labour. Children from low-income households and families with limited educational backgrounds are significantly more vulnerable. The report also notes that boys are more likely than girls to engage in labour, particularly in hazardous occupations.

A large proportion of child labour occurs within family-run farms, workshops and homes, making it difficult for traditional labour inspection systems to detect and address the issue. The study further reveals serious consequences for children’s physical and mental wellbeing.

Working children are more likely to remain out of school, work long hours and suffer injuries, illness and exhaustion. Across different provinces, between 32 and 58 percent of child labourers reported work-related injuries or illnesses, while many older working children showed symptoms of depression.

Federal Human Rights Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stressed that addressing child labour requires coordinated national efforts and a reassessment of policy priorities.