148,000 Children in Morocco Are Victims of Child Labor

Rabat – Out of Morocco’s 7,493,000 population aged between seven and 17, 148,000 were engaged in some form of economic activity in 2021, says a new report by the country’s Higher Commission for Planning (HCP).

The report notes that the share of Moroccan children victims of child labor is even higher within rural demographics as 119,000 children in rural areas are working in the informal economy, making up 3.8% of the country’s rural population.

According to HCP’s data, the rate is relatively low in urban areas, where 29,000 children are taking part in economic activities, making up 0.7% of the rural population.

The report notably notes that child labor Morocco decreased by 26% compared to 2019.

Issued on the occasion of the World Day against Child Labor, HCP’s report explains that 80.4% of children victims of child labor are rural males, and 87.5% of them are aged 15 to 17.

In terms of education, HCP data indicate that 12.1% of children engaged in economic activities in Morocco are attending school while 85.7% have dropped out of school and 2.2% have never been enrolled in schools.

Meanwhile, adds the report, close to 65% children engaged in economic activities benefit from medical coverage, with the percentage getting slightly higher among the 7-17 age group reaching 75%.

Breaking down child labor by sector, the report details that 82.2% of working children are active in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Morocco’s industrial sector employs 24.7% of working children in the country, and three-quarters of working children in rural areas support their families financially, according to the report.

Six out of 10 working children (59.4%) perform hazardous work (88,000 children), which represents 1.2% of children in this age group. Among the children engaged in hazardous forms of work, 73.7% are rural, 88.6% male, and 81.9% aged between 15 and 17 years.