On the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour, the High Commission for Planning (HCP) in Morocco released a report based on 2025 data, revealing that 59,000 children aged 7 to 17 are engaged in hazardous work. This represents a decline from previous years, but the profile of the child worker remains largely unchanged: predominantly boys in rural areas.
The HCP note highlights that child labour overall has decreased, but hazardous work—defined as activities that are dangerous or harmful to a child's physical, mental, or moral development—persists. The majority of these children work in agriculture, often alongside their families, with some in informal sectors like construction or workshops.
According to the HCP, the data underscores the need for targeted interventions in rural communities, where poverty and lack of access to education drive child labour. The report calls for stronger enforcement of child protection laws and expanded social safety nets.
International organizations, including UNICEF and the ILO, have praised Morocco's efforts to reduce child labour but stress that more work is needed to eliminate hazardous work entirely. The 2025 data serves as a benchmark for measuring progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, which aims to end child labour by 2025.
