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Rabat – The High Commission for Planning (HCP) has reported a continued decline in child labor in Morocco, with the number of working children dropping by 13.4% compared to 2022 and more than halving (55.5%) since 2017. However, the prevalence of children engaged in hazardous work remains a significant concern.
According to HCP’s report, issued today on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labor, approximately 63.3% of working children (about 69,000) are involved in dangerous jobs, representing 0.9% of the total children aged 7 to 17.
Of these children, 74% live in rural areas, 91.2% are boys, and 87.9% are between 15 and 17 years old.
The construction and public works sector poses the highest risk, with 80.8% of children working in this field exposed to hazardous conditions.
In the industrial sector, 79.3% of child workers face danger, followed by 77.7% in services and 53% in agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
Overall, out of 7,775,000 Moroccan children aged 7 to 17, around 110,000 were employed in 2023, constituting 1.4% of this age group.
Rural areas see a higher incidence of child labor, with 2.8% (88,000 children) compared to 0.5% (22,000 children) in urban areas. The phenomenon is more common among boys, who make up 85.6% of working children, and it is often associated with school dropout rates.
Read also: UN Report: COVID-19 Led to Rise in Global Child Labor Rates
HCP’s data indicates that 89.1% of working children have left school, 8.6% work while continuing their education, and 2.3% have never attended school. In rural areas, 74.1% of child labor is concentrated in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, whereas in urban areas, 51% work in services and 28.1% in industry.
Family dynamics and socio-economic factors play a significant role in child labor, according to the report. Approximately 60.8% of rural working children are family helpers, while in urban areas, 56.9% are hired laborers, 28.6% are apprentices, and 14% are family helpers.
The phenomenon affects around 77,000 families, representing nearly 1% of all Moroccan households. It is more prevalent in larger families and those with lower educational levels.
About 1.2% of families headed by an individual with no formal education have at least one working child, while it is almost nonexistent in families led by individuals with higher education.
